A Friend in Need
by Babefan2019
Summary: Ranger is the one needing help this time, and Steph is the friend to lend a hand. Rating for language, sex and scenes containing domestic violence. May contain spoilers for any books up through 25. COMPLETE.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** All recognizable characters belong to JE.

**A/N: **Some readers may find content disturbing due to domestic violence situations.

Please know that I appreciate reviews and feedback from my readers, although I am still learning my way around the site so know I've read what you've written, even if I haven't responded.

**Chapter 1 **

For most people, a phone ringing in the middle of the night is cause for alarm. In my world, a phone ringing in the middle of the night just means my on-again, off-again boyfriend is probably heading to work. My name is Stephanie Plum and I'm currently employed as a bounty hunter working for my cousin Vinnie. Being a bounty hunter means people rarely call me in the middle of the night. As a matter of fact, my late night phone calls generally come from my mother when my grandmother hasn't come home and Mom wants me to go look for her.

My currently on-again boyfriend is Joe Morelli. He works for the Trenton PD and is assigned to homicide and crimes against persons. This means his phone does ring frequently in the middle of the night. For some reason the gang bangers and crazies seem to enjoy their murder and mayhem after midnight. He grabbed the ringing phone with a curt, "Morelli." Because this is not an infrequent occurrence, I barely registered the ringing phone or his answer. That was, until I heard him ask the caller why they were calling his phone. Then I heard him ask the caller how they knew my phone is on the counter. I pried my eyes open to try and comprehend the conversation. Joe hit the end button with some Italian swear words and looked over at me.

"Would you care to explain how Ranger is standing in your living room when I know the door was locked and the chain was in place before we came into the bedroom?" Joe asked.

"One of life's mysteries." is the only answer I had. Honestly, I had no idea how Ranger was able to enter my apartment whenever he wanted. I only knew that he did and I didn't mind as much as I probably should have.

I got up and slipped into a pair of sweatpants that were lying on the floor. I know Ranger wouldn't have a problem with me walking out in my panties and t-shirt, but I can't say the same for Joe. As I headed out the bedroom door I heard Joe getting out of bed behind me.

"Stay here, I'll be right back." I knew Joe was pissed about Ranger being in my apartment and I wanted to avoid a confrontation. If Ranger was in my apartment in the middle of the night, especially while Joe was here, I knew there had to be a good reason.

Joe responded with "No way in hell, Cupcake" and continued to pull on the jeans he had dropped beside the bed earlier. He followed me down the hall and into the living room. Ranger was standing in the darkened room and barely blinked when I turned the lamp on. If possible, his face is even more blank than normal, like a black hole in his soul is trapping all of his emotions.

Ranger didn't acknowledge Joe's presence. He just looked at me and said, "I need your help. I need you to come with me to Miami for a few days." His voice was deadly calm but I recognized the urgency in his request. Before I could respond, Joe's Italian temper sparked again.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Manoso? You can't break into my girlfriend's apartment in the middle of the night and ask her to go away with you. You've got a lot of nerve assuming she'll just leave with you because you ask her to. And what about me? I'm standing right here. How dare you assume I would be okay with her just up and leaving with you in the middle of the night."

Joe paused to take a breath and I yelled "Enough!" Joe couldn't see the tension in Ranger, but I could. Even with the blank face, I could see the lines of worry around his eyes and mouth.

"When do we leave?" I asked.

Before Ranger could respond Joe started in again. "What do you mean 'When do we leave?' You can't possibly be considering going off to Miami with Ranger to do God knows what. This is probably just a ploy to get you away from me and back in his bed. Why Miami, Ranger? Hawaii too far to go?"

I stared at Joe in disbelief. I couldn't believe he just went there. We had never talked about Hawaii, but there never seemed to be a need to. Joe made his choice when he chose the job over me. It was Joe's suggestion that we see other people. He was the one who qualified that with "just not Ranger," but I had never agreed to that condition. It wasn't even that I chose Ranger over Joe. It was just my bizarre luck that dropped the opportunity to pick up a skip in Hawaii into my lap. I wasn't authorized to capture out of New Jersey, so when I saw Tootie Ruguzzi at the airport in Hawaii, I called Ranger to let him know I had a lead on The Rug. The Rug was a mob enforcer who, along with his wife Tootie, dropped off the face of the earth before going to trial for killing seven gangbangers. Even with Ranger's help, I had never been able to turn up any clues on where they may have gone, and spotting his wife in the airport was pure dumb luck. The fact that Ranger was on the next flight to Hawaii was just another example of how he was always there when I needed help.

What happened after Ranger got there wasn't planned either. In my defense, between the idyllic setting and the undeniable attraction between Ranger and me, it was inevitable. We never caught our skip, but our few days in paradise were magical. Once we got back to New Jersey, I took Ranger at his word that his life did not lend itself to relationships, and ended up back with Joe. That didn't erase my feelings for Ranger but I couldn't continue to give myself to someone physically if they couldn't give me what I needed emotionally. Or at least I couldn't give in to the physical often. There had been a couple of times after Hawaii when I couldn't help but take what Ranger continued to offer. He told me once that his love came with a condom, not a ring. Knowing this didn't keep me from being in love with him, but it kept my expectations in check.

Now Ranger was standing in front of me asking for my help. Even without considering how many times he had helped me, there was no way I would refuse him. I turned from Joe back to Ranger and asked again, "When do we leave?"

Ranger's expression had not changed throughout Joe's tirade but I saw a flicker of something in his eyes at my question. Was it relief? Did he think I would say no?

"I have a chartered plane waiting to take off as soon as we get to the airport. I asked Ella to pack you a bag in case you said yes. We can be wheels up in 45 minutes. You just need to grab your phone and purse. One of my men will be by tomorrow to pick up Rex and Ella will watch him while we're gone."

Without saying a word, I turned and headed back to the bedroom to get dressed with Joe hot on my heels. I was hoping Joe would not ask how it was I had enough clothes in Ranger's closet for Ella to pack me a bag when all I had at his house were some underwear, socks and tampons. As I pulled some clothes out of my closet, Joe grabbed me by the arm and sputtered "What are you doing? You are not leaving with him. You're going to get back in bed and we are going to pretend this whole fucking conversation never happened."

I tried to twist my arm out of his grasp but he dug his fingers in tighter. "You are hurting my arm. Let go of me, Joe" I said through clenched teeth. I knew there would be a bruise there tomorrow but there was nothing I can do about that. Joe was so furious right now he had no idea what an ass he was being. In the past when I made him angry he would stare at his shoes until he had his temper under control. But, ever since the confrontation between Joe and Ranger in Hawaii, Joe seems to be getting angrier about anything involving Ranger. Joe suddenly realized he was losing control and shoved me away from him. I stumbled into the closet door, but caught myself before I fell. He took a step back and I could see he was trying to regain some control. He finally looked at me and said in a menacing voice "If you leave with him tonight, we are done. I won't be here for you when you get back."

Even though I was still angry at him for the way he reacted to Ranger's request for help, I felt a tug at my heart when I heard his words. "I'm sorry you feel that way. Ranger has always been there to help me when I needed it. I won't let him down when he needs my help. You were fine accepting his help when I was in danger. I would hope that you could be more understanding."

I pulled on a pair of jeans and stretchy t-shirt and head back to the living room. I found my cell phone where I had left in on the counter. I grabbed my purse and a lightweight jacket, not sure of what else I might need. I turned to Ranger and said, "Let's go." Ranger's eyes moved from my face to the darkening bruise on my arm and his blank mask began to slip. In that instant, I knew without a doubt that Ranger would kill him if Joe walked back out of the bedroom. I took a step closer and drew his eyes back up to mine and said softly, "I'm fine. Let's go." Without another word, Ranger opened the apartment door and we headed into the New Jersey night.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** Anything recognizable belongs to JE

**A/N****:** Thank you to all who took the time to review. I appreciate both kind words and constructive criticism.

While I have the story mostly written, I'm taking a little time in between posting the chapters to make sure the story flows the way I've envisioned.

**Chapter 2 **

Ranger opened the passenger door of his Porsche Cayenne and I climbed inside. He waited for me to buckle up before closing the door and heading around to the driver's seat. As soon as the engine turned over Ranger slipped into his zone and I knew he wouldn't tell me what this is about until he is ready. Normally I would have a problem with this lack of information and the questions would fly out faster than they could be answered. But tonight, I sensed there was more going on. For once in my life, I was willing to be patient, or at least try.

The night slipped past silently and we soon arrived at a small, private airfield on the Pennsylvania side of the river. We pulled into one of the three parking spots beside a small hanger. Two more RangeMan SUV's were already parked beside the hanger. Ranger shut off the engine and turned to look at me. For a moment, neither of us said a word. Then Ranger reached across the console to gently kiss me on the lips and whispered, "Thank you."

Surprised, I asked what he was thanking me for. "For your trust. You walked out without knowing what is going on, only that I needed your help. You never questioned anything, you just came. Thank you."

I was stunned by what he said. I had never considered it that way, but I do trust Ranger completely, at least with my life. My heart was another story, but I didn't think I'd ever have a chance to explore that possibility so there was no point in going there. We both stepped out of the Cayenne and Ranger went around to collect our bags from the back. Parked on the tarmac in front of the hanger was an executive style jet. Standing at the bottom of the stairway were eight large and imposing figures. Tank, Lester, Bobby, Ram, Hal, Cal, Hector and Junior make for quite a welcome wagon. All were dressed in RangeMan black and wearing their blank faces. Tank and Ranger acknowledged each other with an almost imperceptible nod and we headed up the stairway into the jet.

I had never been on a private jet before. There was recliner type seating for ten in the forward section of the plane and a separate, smaller area in the back with two recliner type seats, a table and a couch. Ranger led me into the back section and showed me to one of the recliners. I have never flown first class before, but I don't think even those seats could compare to the luxury in which I was now sitting. The bags were stowed and the men took their seats in the forward section. I'm always nervous about flying but before I had time to worry, we were taxiing out and headed down the runway.

Once we were in the air Ranger finally spoke. "We have a couple of hours before we touch down in Miami. This mission only came about late tonight and I'm still working on coordinating everything. I need to go upfront and work with Tank and Hector to get things arranged for when we land. Once we land and get settled, I'll fill you in on everything we know and what I need your help with."

"Can't you give me some idea of what's going on? I'm trying very hard to be patient but you know it isn't my strong suit." This is the understatement of the year and we both knew it.

"Please, Babe. I have to see to the arrangements before we land and there is no quick and easy way to explain everything to you. You can lie down on the couch and try to get some rest while I'm setting things up. It's going to be a very long and stressful day and any rest you can get will help."

As he said this, I realized that it was only a little more than an hour ago that I awoke to Morelli answering his phone. It was 3 am and the adrenaline rush of the middle of the night departure was wearing off. Ranger brought me a pillow and blanket and I settled in to try and be patient. I knew I wouldn't sleep because I can never sleep on an airplane.

The next thing I knew, Ranger was kneeling beside the couch pushing my curls out of my face. "Time to wake up, Babe. We'll be landing soon. You need to buckle up." My brain was fuzzy and my thoughts were scattered as I tried to figure out where I was and why Ranger was waking me up. Suddenly, everything came back and I remembered I'm was on a private jet bound for Miami with Ranger and the Merry Men. As I began to process thought coherently again, I took a good look at Ranger. The fatigue in his face told me he hadn't gotten any sleep last night. The blank face was still in place but, the tension around his eyes and mouth was not as bad. I took that to mean he had things coordinated and we now have a plan.

We landed at another small, private airport. There were two black SUV's waiting by the hanger to transport us to our next stop. As we left the aircraft the Merry Men grabbed all of our bags and put them in the cargo area of the vehicles. Ranger headed to the driver's side of one of the SUV's and indicated I should ride shotgun. Tank climbed into the driver's seat other SUV while the Merry Men divided themselves up into the remaining seats and we headed out into the Florida sunshine.

I expected we would be heading to RangeMan Miami as our base of operations. Instead, we pulled up to the entrance of a posh, Miami Beach hotel. The valet came out to collect our luggage but shrank back when confronted by the wall of muscle that piled out of our vehicles. Check-in was accomplished in record time. I guess hotel management thought it might be intimidating to the other guests to be confronted by nine rather large, intimidating muscle men dressed all in black. I kept my large, starlet sunglasses on and pretended they were my protection detail. More than one curious passerby must have thought I was some kind of celebrity. Wouldn't they be surprised to learn that I was just your semi-average girl from Jersey.

Ranger ordered the men to head up to their rooms, told them to get settled in and then meet in our suite in an hour. Wait, our suite? I looked over at Ranger but held my tongue. This whole situation just kept getting stranger and stranger. I told myself that sharing a suite would be fine. Suite implies multiple bedrooms. It wasn't like we were going to be sleeping together, right?

As we entered our suite, Ranger did his normal scan to make sure there were no killer dust bunnies under the bed or a boogeyman in the closet. Once he was satisfied there were no bad guys, he indicated to one of the two doors off the living area. "You can have that room and I'll take the other. We'll be setting up the command center in the living area, so I don't recommend wandering out in your underwear. I need to take a quick shower. Go ahead and order us breakfast from room service. As soon as I get done, we'll talk."

I grabbed the room service menu and looked at my options. My choice was easy: French toast with maple syrup and bacon, hash browns and a raspberry danish. Knowing Ranger and his "body is a temple" eating philosophy, I scanned down the menu looking for bark and twigs. Unable to find that, I settled for an egg white omelet, whole grain toast, yogurt and fresh fruit. I also add fresh squeezed orange juice and a pot of coffee.

As I finished placing our breakfast order Ranger walked back out of his room. His hair was still damp and I had a minor hot flash thinking about him in the shower. He gave me a tired, almost smile and said "Babe." Damn him and his ESP.

"Let's talk" he said and guided me over to the couch.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **Everything recognizable belongs to JE

**A/N: **I am grateful to all who take the time to leave a review. Your kind words and support make this all the more enjoyable.

Also, thank you for not hating me for leaving you hanging with the last chapter.

**Chapter 3**

He pulled out his cell phone and tapped the screen a few times until he found what he was looking for. He handed me the phone so I could more easily see what he wanted to show me. My mind went numb as I stared at the battered face of a young woman lying in a hospital bed.

"Your primary mission is to make contact with the victim. Her name is Isabella Santiago. Twelve days ago, she was found raped, beaten and left for dead on the floor of her living room. She was found by a housekeeper who happened to stop by on her day off. If the housekeeper had not forgotten her cell phone the night before and stopped by to pick it up on her day off, Isabella would most likely have died where she lay. The housekeeper called 911 and then contacted Isabella's husband. By the time her husband got to the hospital, Isabella was already in surgery. She suffered from a fractured skull, three broken ribs, a punctured lung and a ruptured spleen. The head injury caused her brain to swell so the medical team put her in a medical coma to try to bring down the swelling."

"The police believed that she was the victim of a robbery gone wrong. The house had been tossed and Isabella's jewelry box was empty. The safe in the office had also been emptied. Isabella's husband told the police that the safe contained several thousand dollars in cash as well as some other valuables. He estimated the jewelry was worth over $100,000. Her husband expressed concern for Isabella's safety and ordered his men to guard her room around the clock. No one but medical personnel was allowed in her room and even they had to be accompanied by one of the guards."

"Three days ago, the swelling in her brain had gone down enough for the doctors to begin bringing her out of her coma. She slowly regained consciousness and the police were finally able to question her. Isabella claimed that she was unable to recall what happened. She continued to be under 24 hour guard and was never alone with any of the medical personnel until yesterday. We don't know why, but a nurse was allowed into Isabella's room without a guard. Isabella convinced the nurse to send this picture and a plea for help to Isabella's sister in New Jersey. Her family was unaware of her attack before that text message went out. Hector was able to hack into the hospital's system and access her medical file. That is the only way we were able to find the extent of her injuries. From what we've been able to determine, the guards continue to keep her from contacting anyone on the outside. The guards are supposed to be protecting her from an outside threat, but in reality, they are really there to keep her prisoner and keep her from contacting the outside world."

As I listened to what Ranger was saying I continued to stare at the poor woman's picture. "Why would her husband send guards to keep her from contacting her family?"

"In addition to alerting her family about the attack, Isabella also named her attacker in the message to her sister. The man who raped her and tried to kill her was her husband, Raul Santiago."

I was glad I hadn't had a chance to eat breakfast yet. I wasn't sure if I would have been able to keep it down after hearing this. As Ranger was telling me about the attack he became even more detached than usual. I could tell he was protecting himself from something, I just didn't know what.

"This is more than just an assignment to you, isn't it." This wasn't a question; it was a statement of fact. Even his blank face couldn't hide the pure anguish in his eyes. Then it struck me, "You love her."

As I said the words, I knew they were true. It was probably best not to think about why those words made my heart break some. Maybe she was the reason Ranger wouldn't give us a chance. Maybe she was the one who got away.

Ranger stared off into the room as he responded "I've loved her since the day I met her. The only reason she ended up married to Raul Santiago was because I left her behind and went to Ranger school. If I hadn't left her, I could have stopped her from making the biggest mistake of her life."

Hearing Ranger's words made my heart break a little more. Not for myself, but for Ranger and Isabella. No woman should have to endure what this poor woman had gone through, but to have the abuse inflicted by the person who promised to love, honor and cherish her made it even worse. I didn't know the circumstances of her relationship with Ranger, but I knew Ranger well enough to know he would always feel responsible for Isabella's welfare. Ranger had an innate sense of responsibility and protectiveness few people could comprehend. I was not the least bit surprised that he still felt responsible for a woman who was married to another man. I also knew I would do everything in my power to help save this woman Ranger obviously still loved. It was the least I could do for the man I loved.

"I'm sorry, Ranger. Tell me what I can do." Without thinking, I reached over to take his hand. It was an unconscious gesture to offer comfort, but it had the opposite effect on him. He pulled his hand back, stood up and moved away from me. It was like my unexpected touch had shattered what control he had. I watched him struggle to get himself back under control but he was quickly losing the battle. For the first time since I've known him, Ranger was unable to find that Zen like state he seemed to live in. The result was frightening. I was seeing glimpses of the demons in his soul and I didn't know how to help.

Without warning, he suddenly turned back towards me and pulled me up off the couch. His arms went around me so tightly I could hardly draw a breath. I wrapped my arms around his waist and clung to him as if my life, or his life, depended on it. As we stood there in our embrace I started to feel a change go through his body. It was surreal to feel the calm flowing down through him like an actual wave of energy. His arms loosened and I was finally able to draw a deep breath. He leaned his forehead against mine for a moment before moving away without saying a word about what had just happened.

Now that he had regained some of his control, he was able to continue. "I need you to get into her room and deliver messages. None of my men would be able to get past the guards, but they won't suspect a woman. You'll be dressed in scrubs and go in as part of the regular hospital staff. We aren't sure yet if that will be as housekeeping or as an aide. We are still doing recon on regular hospital procedures. We don't know how closely she is being guarded, but you'll need to be able to pass messages unobserved. Unfortunately, this means you'll have to make multiple trips in and out of her room to deliver and retrieve messages."

"It is important that Raul Santiago not suspect that Isabella was able to contact anyone. We don't know why he has allowed her to live after he attempted to kill her before. We also have not been able to determine the whereabouts of their son, Enrique. I suspect Raul is using the threat of harm to Enrique to keep Isabella from speaking to the police about what happened."

"He wouldn't hurt his own child, would he?" Even as I said it, I knew any man who was capable of doing what he did to his wife would be capable of hurting a child.

"At this point, we have to assume he is capable of anything. Our mission is twofold. We need to remove the threat to Isabella by removing her from her guards. We also need to locate and rescue her son. To do this, we need to strike at both objectives simultaneously. That is the only way we can ensure that neither is harmed when the other is rescued."

"Raul has strong ties to the Miami underworld. RangeMan is well known to Raul and his associates. Because of this, we cannot use resources out of the Miami office and risk tipping him off that we know Isabella and Enrique are in danger from him. This means our team consists of the ten people who were on the plane last night. We are ghosts in this town right now, and I intend to remain that way."

I took a minute to consider everything Ranger had just laid out for me. I'm assuming I will have back-up near me at the hospital, but I will be going into Isabella's room with only myself to rely on if things go south. While not an ideal situation, it wouldn't be the first time I had to rely on my wits and fly by the seat of my pants. I was actually pretty good when it came to fibbing my way into and out of trouble. Once I was able to gather as much intel as I could, I assumed I would be a part of the extraction team to remove Isabella from the hospital. Considering what the poor woman had been through, it would probably be less frightening for her to have a woman on the team.

I mentally cracked my knuckles and squared my shoulders. Stephanie Plum was ready to rock and roll. "Ok. Let me know the questions you need answered and I'll make sure I get what I can from Isabella."

Just then there was a knock on the door and a voice called "Room service." Ranger drew his weapon and approached the door from the side before leaning over to look through the peephole. Satisfied with what he saw, he indicated that I should open the door while he stood behind it with his weapon drawn. As the waiter entered the room Ranger kept him covered until he was sure it was our breakfast. The waiter startled a bit when he turned around to discover Ranger directly behind him. The gun was already back in the small of his back as Ranger handed the waiter a tip and closed the door behind him. Neither one of us had much of an appetite but we knew we needed to eat. We sat down across from each other and focused on fueling our bodies for the upcoming day. As soon as we were finished, I took a deep breath and asked the question that had been screaming in my head ever since I realized how much Isabella meant to Ranger.

"What happened between you and Isabella? You obviously love her very much. Why didn't you marry her?"

"Babe," he said with a strange look, "she's my little sister."


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **Anything recognizable belongs to JE.

**A/N: **I'm loving the reviews! Thank you all for your encouraging words and support.

Kudos to those who guessed she was his sister, but I loved the comments from those who thought Ranger was doing Steph dirty to rescue an old flame.

**Chapter 4**

It took a moment for my brain to wrap itself around Ranger's words. His sister? I knew he was one of six kids in his family, but I didn't know much more. My confusion must have been obvious on my face because he began to explain.

"I've told you before, I'm one of six. I have two older sisters, Mariella and Celia. I have two younger sisters, Isabella and Lupe. My younger brother Esteban is Lupe's twin. Celia is a nurse and is the one Isabella texted with her plea for help."

As I thought about what he was saying I wondered why she would contact her sister for help instead of reaching out to Ranger. Either I wondered this out loud or his ESP was still working because he continued.

"Growing up, Isabella was always my shadow. Wherever I went, whatever I did, Bella wanted to be a part of it. I pretended she was a nuisance, but in all honesty, I enjoyed the hero-worship. As I grew older and started making bad choices Bella continued to be my shadow. When I started hanging around the gangs and getting into more and more trouble, Bella watched from the sidelines. I knew enough to keep her away from the gang life, but she was a beautiful child and was quickly growing into a beautiful young woman. Even on the sidelines, she began to draw attention from some of the gang members. I knew what would happen if Bella got too close to my gang life, so I started pushing her away. I didn't want her to suffer for my choices."

As I listened to his story I realized that pushing people away to protect them had been a long time habit for Ranger. Something to think about.

"Raul Santiago was a soldier in the gang I hung with. I was only a punk and didn't spend much time around the leaders and the soldiers, only long enough to get my orders. It was on those orders that I stole the car that got me sent to juvie at fourteen. Bella was thirteen when I was sent to live with my abuela in Miami. I thought I had protected her from my involvement with the gangs and it wasn't until much later that I realized the consequences my choices would have for my little sister."

I was sitting silently listening to him tell his story. I could tell how much it was costing him emotionally to open up like this. Being open does not come naturally to a man like Ranger and I didn't want to break whatever spell had been cast to bring forth this information. I suspect guilt had a lot to do with it, and guilt was not a feeling that Ranger knows well.

"Bella was starting her senior year when I moved back to Newark to attend Rutgers. She had always been bright and was at the top of her graduating class. She had already decided to attend college in Miami. I remember thinking how my trip to juvie and exile to Miami had probably saved her from being sucked into what would have been a wasted life as some gang member's crackhead girlfriend. What I didn't know was that Raul had been biding his time and watching her."

"Raul was smart. He knew the lifespan of a gang banger was short, and he had plans for a long and healthy life. He used his time on the street to gain the money, knowledge and power he needed to remove himself from the streets. He moved to Miami where he had connections in the Cuban community and set up a small import/export business as a front for his more lucrative businesses. He was ruthless in establishing his business. Those who didn't work with him disappeared. In just a few years, he had the market cornered on high end designer drugs and high end prostitutes. Both are cash cows in the over the top lives of the rich and famous in Southern Florida."

"All the while he was building his empire, Raul continued to keep track of Bella. He made a point of bumping into her on several occasions after she started school in Miami, and they started dating toward the end of her freshman year. I had just finished my second year at Rutgers and decided to enlist. Before shipping out to boot camp, I made a trip to Miami to visit with my abuela to thank her for what she had done to help me turn my life around. While I was there, I spent some time with Bella as well. She told me about the guy she was dating and I thought she seemed to have really fallen for the guy. I warned her to take things slow and finish her education before considering anything serious. Bella told me her hero-worshipping days were over and she didn't need me telling her how to live her life. She also told me I had lost the right to tell her what to do when I made the choice to mess up my own life at fourteen. I never realized how much my leaving had hurt her."

"After I reported to boot camp, I became engrossed in the military life and didn't contact any of my family very often. When I decided to enroll in Ranger school I made another trip back to Miami to see my abuela before I left. Bella was in her senior year of college at this point and really had a great future ahead of her. She was graduating at the top of her class again, and had received multiple job offers from some of the top companies on the Eastern seaboard. We met for lunch and the first thing I noticed was how different she looked. She was thinner than I had ever seen her and seemed sad. I asked what was wrong but she passed it off as stress from her final year and trying to figure out what she was going to do after graduation. She also mentioned that she was having some problems with her boyfriend. This was the same guy she had been seeing since her freshman year. I tried to offer some advice but she got angry and told me that she was more than capable of making her own decisions and living with the choices she made. That she didn't need a big brother who didn't always make the best choices telling her what to do with her life. By the time we left the restaurant we were barely speaking. I left for Ranger school two days later and had not seen or heard from her again until Celia forwarded me that text yesterday. Everything I've learned about what happened between when I last saw her and now, I've pieced together from conversations with my mother and sisters."

"It appears Raul had decided Bella would make the perfect wife to support the image he was trying to create. He used the time while she was in school to build his empire and planned to marry her right after she graduated. I suppose it was important to him that people saw his wife as a beautiful, well-educated woman. Because he was a high-school dropout from the streets of Newark, he would want the kind of validation Bella would bring. I think Bella was starting to see Raul for what he was. I know she tried to break things off a couple of times, but he managed to woo her back each time. On the day I met her for lunch, Bella had just discovered she was pregnant, but I didn't know that at the time."

"Soon after her graduation, Bella and Raul were married in a lavish ceremony in Miami. After the wedding Raul found more and more ways to isolate Bella from our family. I was often away on missions and did not realize what was happening. When Enrique was born, our parents traveled to Miami to meet their new grandson. Bella didn't say anything, but my mother was concerned by the changes she saw in her. Mama tried to stay in contact with Bella as much as possible after they returned to Newark but Raul made it more and more difficult for my family to reach her. Sometimes it would be weeks before Mama was able to connect with her, but Bella would always have some excuse as to why she hadn't been in touch."

"Even before I started RangeMan, I started keeping tabs on Raul. I knew about the drugs and the prostitutes but I told myself it was Bella's choice to stay with him. I wanted to go in and rescue my sister but I kept remembering what she had said about making her own choices. I let my wounded pride get in the way and told myself she didn't want to be rescued. At the time, I didn't realize how much personal danger she and Enrique were in, or I would have pulled them both out anyway and damn the consequences. I don't know what happened to make him snap, but whatever it was hasn't gone away. It is only a matter of time before he kills my sister. I'm not going to fail her again - this time I'm going to pull her out."


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: **Anything you recognize belongs to JE.

**A/N:** Your reviews and kind words are greatly appreciated. I was really nervous about posting my stories but you all have been so encouraging and supportive. Thank you!

**Chapter 5**

The entire time Ranger was telling me his sister's story, he spoke in a detached, unemotional tone that was in direct contrast to the details he was providing. I now understood where the feelings of guilt were coming from. Not only did blame himself for bringing his sister to Raul's attention, he felt guilty for not pulling her out of her situation before she was almost killed. It was taking every bit of his training to control his emotions to give me the background. My mind was churning with everything he told me. I was startled by two sharp knocks on the door. The gun came out of the back of Ranger's pants before the second knock and he made his way over to the side of the door. After verifying it was the rest of the team, Ranger flipped the safety back on his gun, returned his gun to its holster and opened the door.

Our once spacious suite seemed to shrink with the number of large men now standing in the room. It was strange to see them in "civilian clothes" but even in regular jeans and t-shirts, it was still hard for these guys to blend in. Hal, Cal and Hector walked in carrying the electronics we would need and immediately went to work setting up our command center. Before long, the dining area in the suite resembled a home office with the laptops, routers and a printer. Once everything was set up to Hector's satisfaction, the entire team gathered in the seating area.

Ranger was in mission mode as he began the briefing. "We know Isabella is under round the clock surveillance at the hospital with no access to a phone or internet. We don't know where Enrique is being held, but it is believed that Raul is keeping Enrique with him and using him as leverage to keep Isabella from talking to the police. Raul is still going into the office each day, so he must be staying close by."

"We will be operating on two fronts for this mission. Steph and Hector will be working to rescue Isabella. The rest of us will be focused on rescuing Enrique. Steph will be undercover as a volunteer aide and Hector will be maintenance. Hector, I want you to install cameras so we can learn the patterns of the guards and to alert us if something changes and Raul decides to make a move against Isabella. Steph, you will make contact with Isabella and get as much information as you can on where Raul might be holding Enrique."

"Once we have located Enrique, we will coordinate both teams to move at the same time. We anticipate an armed presence at Raul's hideout and will need to neutralize the resistance as quickly as possible to minimize the risk to Enrique."

"We know there are only ever two guards on Isabella, so Hector and Stephanie will be able to subdue them easily enough. Because we are not dealing with a fugitive apprehension here, we need to be careful in taking out the guards. The local police are not aware that Isabella is being held against her will, so we have no police backup going in or pulling Isabella out. Any questions?"

I was a little apprehensive about my part in the plan. Ranger was putting a lot of faith in my ability to not only connect with Isabella, but to help bring down her guards. I had plenty of faith in Hector's ability, but mine tended to be more dumb luck than skill. No one else had any questions or seemed to be questioning my abilities, and Ranger had enough to worry about, so I kept my thoughts to myself.

"Ok, good. Let's get going then. There are scrubs and hospital ID's for both Steph and Hector in the duffle bag by the door. I want you both to get over to the hospital and start getting us some intel. Lester and Ram, I want you to start tracking Raul and see if we can determine where he is staying. Cal and Hal, I want you to start researching everything you can on Raul. I want contacts, known associates, property records, everything. You know the drill. The rest of us are going to hit the streets and see what we can pick up there. We'll meet back here at 1800 and see what we've got. The sooner we can move the better, but we won't go until we have good intel. We all know how easy it is for a mission to go FUBAR and this isn't one were we can afford to make mistakes. Dismissed."

I grabbed my things from the duffel and headed back to my room to get changed. As I was getting dressed, I was formulating my plan to get into Isabella's room without raising suspicions. Most of my skills as a bounty hunter can be described as mediocre at best. However, my ability to play a role is pretty darn good and I was going to use my best talents to get through her door.

When Hector and I got to the hospital, he headed for the maintenance department to pick up his maintenance cart and I headed for the gift shop. I picked up several crossword, word search and Sudoku books, as well as a handful of pens. I headed up to Isabella's floor and went to the nurse's station to get a feel for the routine. I noted that Isabella was in a private room at the end of the hall. Being at the end of the hall made it impossible to walk past her door to get a look in. From the door, the guards were able to see anyone going up and down the hall, all the way to the nurse's station and beyond.

One of the things I've learned from bounty hunting is that people are far less likely to notice you if you look like you belong. Most people only notice what looks out of place. Knowing this, I spent some time moving around the nurse's station, blending in with the rest of the staff as they went about their business. I watched the guards for a while to get a feel for how diligent they actually were. We knew they had allowed a nurse to enter the room unguarded at least once, which is how Isabella was able to reach out to Celia. As I continued to watch, a nurse entered Isabella's room and neither guard moved to accompany her. Either their orders had changed, or they had gotten very complacent.

I decided I had blended long enough, so I took a clipboard, my pile of books and pens and entered a patient room near the nurse's station. I spent a few minutes chatting with the patient and then offered her an activity book. I did this with several other rooms along the hall, letting the guards see me entering other rooms and spending a little time in each. When I approached Isabella's room, I gave the guards a cheery smile and walked right by like I had every reason in the world to be entering Isabella's room. As I hoped, neither guard challenged me or followed me into the room. These guys definitely weren't RangeMan material.

The door behind me was still open, so I walked up to Isabella and said in a perky voice "Hi, my name is Stephanie."

Because my back was to the door, I couldn't see if the guards were watching so I continued to play my part. I set the books down on the table and gently took Isabella's wrist and pretended to take her pulse. As I stared intently at my watch I whispered "Your brother sent me."

Isabella's eyes widened momentarily and then she dropped her own blank face into place. What was with this family? Do they learn that at birth? After pretending to take her pulse, I made some notes on the clipboard I was carrying and asked her about her pain and any other medical type questions I could think of. As I spoke with her, I moved about the room a little so I could determine if the guards were watching what I was doing in the room. They didn't seem to be paying any attention so I moved back to Isabella's side and offered her an activity book. In the same cheery voice I used when I came in, I said, "I hope you enjoy this book. Inside you will find everything you need to help you through the long hours while you are here." As I said it, I gave her a little nod and she quickly found the note I had tucked in the pages.

With one last smile, I handed her a pen and said I'd be back later to check on her and then I headed out the door. I nodded to the guards and made my way back to the nurse's station. Neither guard seemed the least bit suspicious, so my ruse had worked. I didn't want to give her any information on what Ranger was planning in case the note fell into the wrong hands, so the note only asked for her thoughts on where Raul might be hiding and anything else she could give us that might be helpful.

When I returned to the nurse's station, I noticed a maintenance cart pushed to the side of the corridor. Hector was on a ladder working on one of the overhead lights. No one seemed to be paying any attention to him as he went about his business and, before long, we had two cameras recording everything that was happening from Isabella's door all the way to the other end of the corridor.

I stayed at the nurse's station for a couple of hours keeping myself busy by visiting different patients and refilling waters, carrying out lunch trays and any other tasks I could find to help out. Everyone assumed I was another volunteer and no one challenged me. I even made a point to go back into Isabella's room to refill her ice water. When I walked in the second time, Isabella locked eyes with me and silently mouthed "thank you."

Later as the evening shift started to come on, I made one last round to visit the patient rooms. When I entered Isabella's room the guards never even looked at me. I set my clipboard on the edge of the bed and she slipped the note under the papers as I pretended to take her pulse. I gave her hand a reassuring squeeze and wished her a cheery good evening before telling her I would see her the next day. I picked up my clipboard and walked calmly past the guards. I made my way to the elevators and texted Hector to meet me by the hospital entrance so we could head back to the hotel together. While I waited for Hector, I texted Ranger to let him know we were on our way. I thought about sending Joe a text but decided I didn't want to deal with the diatribe that I would probably get in return. It was probably best to give him a couple days to cool off anyway.

Hector and I were the first ones back to the hotel. Once we were back in the room, I took Isabella's note from under the paperwork on my clipboard. She had listed several addresses that I assumed were properties owned by Raul. She also had written three names with question marks beside the names and a note to check their properties as well. Cal and Hal had been using RangeMan search programs and various other mostly legal means to learn everything they could about Raul via the internet. I gave them the three names Isabella had written and asked them to start searching for properties owned by these men as well.

While we waited for the others I took the information they had gathered including the list of properties from the new searches and started reading through. One of the reasons I was good at finding people was the time I put into researching my skips. It wasn't uncommon to make an apprehension because something on the reports set off my "spidey sense". Ranger said it was because I had good instincts but I liked the idea of a spidey sense better.

At first read, nothing really stood out to me but something felt off. As I went back through the list of properties owned by Raul and the men Isabella had named, I realized there was one property that seemed out of place. Raul's cousin was listed as the owner, but the taxes were paid by Raul's company. The property was listed as an alligator farm. If you were in a business where you didn't want anyone to know where the bodies were buried, it would be useful to have alligators. The thought made me shudder. I continued to read through the data they had collected but nothing else really jumped out at me.

When everyone returned to the suite, we sat down to discuss what we'd found. I went first, letting Ranger and the team know about making contact with Isabella. I explained how I thought the crossword puzzle book would give her the excuse she needed if the guards saw her writing the note and how I worked the entire corridor throughout the day to keep the guards from getting suspicious when I went into Isabella's room. Hector monitored the guards throughout the day and noted that the same guards were there for the entire day. Several times throughout the day one guard would leave and walk down the hall to the restroom, leaving only one guard at the door. They also seemed to take turns going to get lunch. As security professionals, the RangeMan team just shook their heads in disgust at the lack of discipline.

Cal and Hal were next to report and ran through what they had uncovered through their searches. After they ran down through the list of known properties, Ranger asked Lester and Ram if they had trailed Raul to any of those properties on the list. Lester and Ram reported that Raul had spent his day at his main office and had not gone anywhere until he left for the day. They had followed him at a distance as he left his office, but had to give up the tail when he got too far out of the city and they were afraid of being made. Lester said Raul appeared to be headed into the swamp but there were too few cars on the road to blend in so they turned back at that point.

When Lester mentioned swamp my spidey sense started tingling again. I grabbed a laptop and typed the address of Raul's office and the address of the cousin's alligator farm into a map program and asked the program to plot the directions.

"Where were you guys when you gave up the tail?" I asked. Lester pointed to a spot along the blue line route plotted by the map program. I explained that Isabella had given us names of Raul's associates to check out, and this cousin's name was on the list of people possibly helping Raul hide Enrique. I told them how I had gone through the data and that something about the alligator farm just seemed off.

"Good work, Babe. Bobby, Lester, Tank and I will go out to the alligator farm tonight and do some recon. Hector, I want you to keep an eye on the monitors and watch the guards outside of Isabella's room. If anything goes wrong with the recon, I want Isabella protected. The rest of you, head back to your rooms and get some shut-eye."


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: **Anything and anyone recognizable belong to JE

**A/N:** Thank you to all who have reviewed. I love hearing from you and appreciate your encouragement.

**Chapter 6**

It was after midnight when the recon team returned to the hotel suite. Ranger sent the guys back to their rooms with orders to get some rest and meet back at 0800 in our suite. I was beyond exhausted and I couldn't imagine how Ranger was still functioning. I had at least had some sleep the night before, both before Ranger had showed up at my apartment and on the plane, but, as near as I could tell, Ranger had most likely been up for almost 40 hours at this point. As the door closed behind the rest of the team Ranger walked over and offered me a hand up off the couch where I had been curled up waiting for him to return.

"Come on, Babe. Get some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be another long day."

With that, he walked me to my door and gave me a kiss on the top of my head. I looked up into his tired face and answered, "You do the same." I gave him a quick kiss on the lips and headed into my room. After a much needed shower, I brushed my teeth and dug in the bag Ella had packed looking for something to sleep in. I smiled when I found one of Ranger's black t-shirts tucked in with my regular clothes and slipped it on with a pair of clean panties. I crawled into the middle of the king size bed and had the fleeting thought that the bed was much too big for just one person before I sank into an exhausted sleep.

Sometime in the night, I awoke enough to realize that I was no longer alone in my too big bed. I could feel the heat of someone laying behind me and an arm around my waist. When I tried to turn over the arm just pulled me closer and he whispered, "Go back to sleep, Babe." So I did.

The next morning I woke up alone in my bed and I could hear the voices of the Merry Men in the living room. I wondered briefly if I had dreamed having Ranger in my bed last night and then I decided I didn't really care if it hadn't been. We had shared a bed before without it being a sexual thing, and it felt comforting to have him with me when I had awoken in the night.

I got up and took a quick shower to tame the crazy that comes from going to bed with wet curly hair. After I brushed my teeth and got dressed, I headed out into the command center. Someone had ordered a variety of breakfast items from room service so I wandered over to grab a muffin and some coffee before joining the others.

"Morning, Babe. We've been going over what we learned yesterday and last night and we've got our plan in place. It looks like Isabella is set to be released tomorrow so we are going after her and Enrique today. I'm afraid if we wait until she has been released it will be too dangerous to try to protect them both while taking out Raul and his men."

"We are going to wait until Raul leaves the office and heads back to the alligator farm before we make our move. We'll set up an ambush on the road into the farm. Raul generally travels with at least two bodyguards. We need to be fast so they can't alert anyone at the farm. Once that threat has been neutralized, we will head to the farm to free Enrique."

"Steph, you and Hector will head back to the hospital this afternoon. You two will need to neutralize the guards and get Isabella out of there. Because of the risk of collateral damage if you overtly engage, you and Hector need to remove the guards discretely and without deadly force, if possible."

Since I am not used to "mission speak" I took a minute to translate this in my mind. "Ok," I said, "so no shooting and be subtle. Got it."

Hector grinned at me and shook his head. "Chica, no necesito un arma para ser mortal."

Lester volunteered the translation with an evil grin, "Hector says he doesn't need a weapon to be deadly."

I decided I didn't want to think about the ways in which Hector could employ deadly force, so I moved on. "I can lure the guards into Isabella's room and stun gun them. We can tie them up and leave them locked in the bathroom while we get Isabella out of the hospital."

Ranger seemed to think about this for a minute and nodded. "Just be careful, Babe. Hector will not be able to get as close to the door as I would like until both men are in the room with you and Isabella. The second guard will be reacting after you tag the first one. They will have no problems with using deadly force and won't be worried about civilian casualties."

"Okay. Shift change is at 4:00 pm so that's when you'll hit the floor, Steph. The guards will have been on duty for nine hours at that point, and should be good and bored. Hector, you will go in earlier since maintenance generally works during the day shift. That should help to keep your cover and won't raise suspicion when Stephanie appears on the floor."

"Raul generally leaves the office around 4:00 pm so the timing should work out. Bobby, you and Junior are going to be his shadow from the office. Take two vehicles and work the tail so he doesn't spot you. The rest of us will already be in place at the ambush site. Once we have taken out Raul and his bodyguards, we'll head to the farm. Hal, your job is to find and secure Enrique. I want you to get him away from the action as quickly as possible. The rest of us will clean house and make sure Isabella and Enrique will be safe going forward. Anybody have any questions?"

As I sat there listening, I realized I was seeing the mercenary I had only heard of. There was no talk of bringing Raul to justice. Justice was being delivered to his door. I thought about whether or not this bothered me, and was surprised to find that it didn't, or at least, not as much as it probably should have. I knew this was the only way Isabella and her son were ever going to be safe.

"What will happen when others find out you've eliminated Raul?" I asked Ranger.

"No one will know who did it. There will be a power struggle to take over his business, and each faction will suspect another in ordering the hit. These people are opportunists and won't care why the opportunity presented itself, only that it did. As long as Isabella isn't making a play for the business, no one will care about her."

I got up to grab some more coffee and headed back to my room. Hector was already headed to the hospital and I knew Ranger and the rest of the team would be leaving shortly to scout out the alligator farm and set up the ambush site, but I had a few hours on my hands before I needed to head to the hospital. I was trying to decide what to do with myself to pass the time when Ranger came into my room.

"You okay, Babe?" He stood just inside the door while his eyes were searching my face waiting for my answer.

I thought about what he was really asking me and decided to answer as honestly as I could. "This is a side of you I knew existed but I've never seen in action. I really don't know what to say. I know killing is wrong but I can't feel bad about you going after Raul and his men."

Ranger gave a small nod before turning and walking out of the room, leaving me alone with my thoughts and several hours to kill. I decided to make use of my time by watching the guards on Isabella's room from the monitors in the hotel suite. Maybe I could come up with a plan on how I was going to take out both guards before they knew what hit them.

As I watched over the next couple of hours, I confirmed that both guards took turns leaving their post to hit the restroom and, judging by the to-go cups, the cafeteria. These guys were definitely not RangeMan material. I decided the best way to take them both out was to do it when one or the other left their post. I continued to watch the monitors and saw Hector move up and down the hall a few times, but nothing seemed different from the guard's routine today. I changed into my scrubs, grabbed my ID and headed to the hospital.

I texted Hector when I got to the hospital to ask him to meet me so we could talk about how we were going to do this. He met me in the parking garage and we went over my plan for separating the two guards and taking them out one at a time. I would wait until one of the guards went to the men's room and then lure the remaining guard into Isabella's room and stun him. I'd secure his wrists and ankles and hide him in her bathroom. Hector would be waiting for the other guard in the men's room and take him out there, if possible. If there were others in the men's room and Hector wasn't able to take him down there, I would wait for him to come back and then take him out in Isabella's room like the first guard.

As I headed to the sixth floor, I stopped at the cafeteria and bought two extra-large fountain drinks. Once I got to the floor, I headed straight to the guards outside Isabella's room. I put on my cheery Stephanie smile and said, "Hi! One of the nurses really has a thing for the strong, silent type, and asked me to bring you guys something to drink. If either of you are single, I'd be happy to give her your number if you want."

The guards looked at each other and grinned. They each took a drink and their eyes went to the nurse's station to try to decide which nurse was sending them drinks. Ugh, men are so gullible.

I continued on into Isabella's room where she was sitting up in bed watching. I gave her a cheery hello as I entered and went right to her bedside like I belonged there. Pretending to take her pulse once again, I whispered "Be ready." I puttered around her room a few minutes longer to divert any suspicion and then headed back to the nurse's station.

As I had the day before, I spent time in several other rooms along the corridor to Isabella's room. The guards paid more attention to the nurses at the station than they did to what was happening along the hallway. Both seemed to enjoy their extra-large drinks, and about an hour after I had delivered them, the first guard headed for the men's room. I knew Hector was already in place, so I headed back towards Isabella's room.

I smiled as I passed the guard and entered through her door. I slid to the side of the door and said loudly, "How did you get in here?" Hearing this, the guard came charging into the room focused on Isabella in the bed. I reached out with my stun gun and he hit the floor with a thud. I quickly tied his wrists in front of his body and used zip ties to secure his ankles. The plan was to give us enough time to get out of the hospital but give the guards the chance to free themselves before someone found them and called the police. Hector came into the room and gave me a nod to let me know the other guard had been taken care of and helped me drag the incapacitated guard into the bathroom before anyone saw what was happening.

We stepped back into the room and Hector went down the hall to grab a wheelchair. I pulled a pair of sweatpants and a zip up sweatshirt from the bag Hector had brought from the utility closet. Once we had the pants pulled up and Isabella's hospital gown hidden under the sweatshirt, I slipped a pair of slippers on her feet and we were ready to ride. I got Isabella settled into the wheelchair and calmly wheeled her down the corridor and into the elevator. Hector had gone ahead to get the car while I was getting Isabella dressed and was waiting at the front door pick-up when we got to the door.

None of us said a word as Hector helped Isabella settle into the passenger side and buckled her seatbelt gently around her. I climbed into the backseat as Hector threw the wheelchair in the back of the SUV and drove us back to the hotel. We pulled up to the valet parking entrance at the hotel and Hector pulled the wheelchair out of the back. I wheeled Isabella up to the suite, shut the door behind us and started to shake from relief.

Hector sent a message to the team to let them know Isabella was safe and she and I settled in on the sofa while Hector sat down at his computer. We knew it would be a while before we heard from the other team but that didn't make the waiting any less anxiety ridden.

Isabella reached over to take my hand and said, "Thank you. You were amazing. Do you work for my brother?"

"I do work for RangeMan on occasion, but mostly your brother and I are just friends who help each other out. Actually, he helps me out a lot more than I help him."

I heard what sounded like a snort from Hector before he muttered, "Eso no es cierto. Ella simplemente no se da cuenta de cómo lo ayuda."

I looked at Isabella questioningly and she said, "He says that's not true, that you help my brother more than you realize. Do you know what he means by that?"

I just shrugged and said, "I can't imagine."

Just then, both of our phones went off. I read the text and looked at Isabella, "Enrique is safe. Everyone is okay and they'll be back as soon as they can."

I held Isabella as she sobbed with relief. I was on the verge of tears myself. Ranger and the guys were safe, they had the little boy and the threat to his sister and nephew had been eliminated. Mission accomplished.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: **Anything recognizable belongs to JE

**A/N: **Please keep the reviews coming. I read and appreciate every one of them.

**Chapter 7**

Since we had some time before the others got back, I decided to take a quick shower. After I dried my hair a bit, I pulled it back into a ponytail and slipped on a tank top and some lounge pants and headed back out into the living room to wait with Isabella and Hector. It was going to take a little while before the team finished cleaning up and be able to make their way back to the hotel. Isabella was resting comfortably on the sofa and Hector was busy on his laptop in the dining area. I sat down across from Isabella and asked if she wanted anything. I may not be able to cook, but I can dial room service like a pro. Since neither she nor Hector were hungry, I figured I'd wait until the rest of the team returned.

As we sat there Isabella noticed the bruise on my arm. "Forgive me for asking, but how did you get that bruise on your arm?"

Hector looked up and I swear I heard him growl. "Esta bien, Hector. Es nada." I looked back to Isabella and explained "My boyfriend was upset with me when I told him I was leaving to help your brother. He grabbed my arm as I was leaving. It's not a big deal, he was understandably upset that I was leaving in the middle of the night. I know he didn't mean to hurt me."

Isabella hesitated for only a moment and then started speaking quietly. "Stephanie, I can tell you have a kind heart. You obviously have the love and affection of my brother and the men who work for him. But be careful that you don't let that kind heart blind you to the evil that lives in some people."

"I'm sorry, Isabella, but I don't know what you mean."

"Please understand that I am not saying anything about your boyfriend or your choices, but I want to tell you how I ended up in the hospital two weeks ago. When I first met Raul, he was completely charming. We would hang out, get a pizza, watch sports or a movie, just very casual. We didn't go out on dates a lot, just met for lunch when our schedules allowed. I'd spend the night with him once in a while but long term stays always led to an argument and we'd have to take a break. Eventually, we'd have make up sex and things would be good again. The first time he left a mark on me in anger was when a friend called one night needing a ride after her boyfriend dumped her and left her stranded in a strange neighborhood. As I got up to leave, Raul grabbed my arm hard enough to leave a bruise and told me I wasn't going anywhere. He accused me of making up the story about my friend and insisted I was going out to meet another man. I had to call my friend back and tell her I couldn't help her."

"After that, Raul slowly began controlling my life. I didn't notice it at first because he always insisted he was just trying to do what was best for me. He would buy me clothes that he thought were more appropriate than the ones I picked out, even though they weren't to my taste; he pushed me towards activities that he thought were right for me, whether it was something I was interested in or not; and, he started controlling who I could see and talk to. He said my family treated me like a child and that they wouldn't understand how much he loved me. He told me they wouldn't accept our love because of his past, and that I needed to have no more contact with them so they wouldn't poison our love."

"While he was manipulating me mentally, he was also becoming more physically abusive. If I disagreed with him he would become physical and shake me or shove me. If I told him I wasn't in the mood for sex, he would pressure me until I gave him what he wanted just so I could get some sleep. I had always insisted on him using protection because I couldn't take birth control pills, but then one night he had no condoms and forced himself on me even when I told him no. That was when I decided I had had enough. I still had my own place, but we had been spending more and more time at his place. I waited until he went to work and then I packed up my things and left his apartment."

"I didn't realize how nervous I was about leaving him until I locked the door behind me when I got back to my place. The sense of relief was almost overwhelming. I was naive enough to think it would be that easy. I didn't hear from him for over a month and thought I was moving on with my life. Then my period was late and I discovered I was pregnant. I found out later that he had been having me followed the whole time. He was waiting outside the office of the OB when I went to confirm what the home pregnancy test had told me. He told me he was sorry, and that he loved me and our child and would take care of us both."

"I was young, alone and pregnant. I was scared out of my mind. I didn't believe that he had changed but I didn't know where else to turn. I was too ashamed to reach out to my family. So I ignored every instinct in my body telling me to run and I agreed to marry him. During my pregnancy, Raul was again the charmer. He catered to my every need. I began to believe that he had changed and that everything really was going to be ok. Raul was thrilled when we found out we were going to have a son. I wanted for nothing and he showered me with gifts. And then we found out our son had Down's syndrome. Raul blamed me for our son's chromosomal abnormality."

"I was afraid of what Raul would do to our baby, so I became the perfect wife that he wanted. I catered to his every desire and tried to give him no reason to be upset. It was easier for Raul to pretend Enrique did not have special needs when he was an infant, but as Enrique got older and didn't develop as other kids did, Raul had less and less patience for him. I kept Enrique away from his father as much as possible. Raul spent a lot of time working and running his empire and Enrique and I were basically kept prisoner in our home. Raul didn't want the world to know he had a less than perfect family."

"When he was home, Raul seemed to take pleasure in finding different ways to torment me. According to Raul, I was useless. I couldn't cook, I couldn't give him a 'normal' child, and I was a burden that he had to suffer with. The physical abuse started again soon after Enrique was born. Raul began to force himself on me almost as soon as I got home from the hospital. You see, he wanted a 'normal' child that he could take out in public and not be embarrassed by. What he didn't know was that I had the doctor tie my tubes when Enrique was born. There was no way I was going to risk bringing another child into this world with that man."

"He was always careful to hit me in the body instead of my face. That way no one could see the bruising. I was still expected to play the role of the perfect wife. As strange as it sounds, I had accepted that this was how my life was going to be until I could find a way to get Enrique safely away from him. His power had grown along with his wealth, and he told me many times there was nowhere I could run where he wouldn't find me. And then everything changed two weeks ago."

"I had been secretly collecting evidence of his illegal activities for a while. I thought I would use this evidence to blackmail him into finally letting us go. He was surprised to see me enter his office. He had always told me I wasn't allowed to be in there. I told him I had enough evidence to bring down his entire empire but that if he allowed me take Enrique and leave, I would never say a word to the authorities. I was literally shaking as I spoke, but we couldn't live like that any longer. When I finished, I just stood there and waited for him to say something."

"When he suddenly burst out laughing, I knew I was a dead woman. He was still laughing when he casually stood up, walked over and punched me in the face. As he continued to beat me, I realized he was not going to stop this time. He only stopped long enough to rape me, but when he was finished, he stood up and began kicking me over and over as I lay on the floor. That was the last thing I remember before I woke up in the hospital."

"When he found out I was still alive he knew he needed to keep me quiet until he could finish what he started. So he took Enrique into hiding and put me under guard to keep anyone from getting near me and bided his time. I'm sure he had something very special planned for me when I got out of the hospital."

"I'm telling you all this for a reason. I never could have imagined the first time Raul grabbed my arm that my life would become such a nightmare. When I asked you about the bruise, you told Hector that it was okay, that it was nothing. I'm telling you, it is not okay and that it is not nothing. Please know that you deserve better. I'm not saying your boyfriend is a psychopath like Raul, but he still needs to know it's not okay to hurt you."

I was stunned as I listened to her story. I had heard Ranger's version, but hearing the details from Isabella made it all the more horrifying. Still, I felt a little embarrassed that she would think Joe was anything like Raul. After all, he never hit me. He may not like what I do for work, or my friendship with Ranger and the guys, but it wasn't like he was trying to control me. He just wanted me to marry him and be a Burg wife and mother because he cared about me. As these thoughts ran through my brain I realized that maybe Isabella's statement wasn't as far off as I had originally thought.

"Isabella, I'm sorry for all you've been through. I appreciate your concern and I'll think about what you've said."


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: **Anything recognizable belongs to JE

**A/N:** Smut alert. This is my first attempt, so please be kind. I was going for sexy and trying not to sound like one of my grandmother's romance novels.

Once again, I want you to know how much your reviews mean to me. I very much appreciate everyone who takes the time to comment.

**Chapter 8**

We all sat lost in our thoughts until the rest of the team returned. Ranger was first through the door carrying his sleeping nephew. Isabella tried to control her tears as Ranger carried him into the second bedroom, with Isabella right behind him. The rest of the team arrived soon behind him and waited quietly for Ranger to reappear. To my relief, it didn't look like anyone had been seriously hurt during the rescue. I've had these guys tell me a bullet wound was just a scratch, so when they say everyone is "okay," it isn't as reassuring as it might be coming from another person.

I heard a quiet exchange from the bedroom before Ranger reemerged and pulled the bedroom door shut behind him. He walked over and addressed the team, "Good work, men. Head back to your rooms, get some chow and some shut eye. We'll be leaving the hotel at 0600 tomorrow. Dismissed."

Hector closed up his laptop and headed out with the rest of the Merry Men. Once the door closed behind the last of the guys I took a moment to really look at Ranger and noticed a tear in his sleeve and blood on his left bicep. He saw me looking and said, "It's just a scratch, Babe. Caught a ricochet during the rescue. It's fine."

I grabbed the first aid kit out of the gear bag and said, "Let me at least clean it up. If it needs stitches I'll call Tank back to stitch you up."

I used the scissors in the kit to cut the sleeve away and saw a bloody furrow across his muscle. The bullet had just grazed across the muscle and it really was only a scratch by RangerMan standards, so I used an antiseptic to clean it out and applied antibiotic to a piece of gauze and taped it in place. I cleaned up and put everything away and then tried to figure out what to do next. I'd never been a part of one of Ranger's missions so I wasn't really sure what to do now. I felt too keyed up to just go to bed but I didn't know what to do with myself.

Ranger must have realized what was happening because he took my hand and led me over to the couch. "When we're in the field, we all need a chance to decompress after a mission. You're probably feeling antsy and anxious right now. Tired but you don't want to go to sleep. Not sure how to wind down. Am I right?"

I nodded and asked, "What do you do to decompress?"

"I meditate. I sit in a darkened room, focus on one thing, clear my mind and concentrate on my breathing. I use my focal object to re-center myself." The way he said this made me think there was something more to this than he was saying, but I had no idea what it could be.

"What do you focus on?" I asked. He just gave me his man of mystery half smile and I decided I probably didn't want to know.

Before I could give it any more thought, he continued, "I know meditation isn't your thing. Do you want to talk?"

He was right. The whole meditate, Zen master thing was Ranger, not me. My way of dealing with stress included either denial or donuts and shoe shopping. Talking is probably the best alternative I was going to get at this point. Ranger pulled me close to him on the couch and wrapped an arm around my shoulders, snugging me into his body and I laid my head on his shoulder while I talked. I told him about watching the guards from the hidden cameras and the plan I came up with to separate them so we could take them out one at a time. When I got to the part about telling the guards one of the nurses liked the strong, silent type, I felt rather than heard his chuckle. After I told him about luring the guard in and using the stun gun, he gave me a one armed squeeze and kissed the top of my head.

"Proud of you, Babe. You took the guy out by yourself and kept Bella safe."

We sat in silence for a minute and then I had a random thought. "How is it a high end hotel like this lets a bunch of badasses with a little boy just stroll through their lobby without question?"

I could hear the amusement in his voice as he replied, "Who is going to stop us? Besides, I tip them well enough not to see a thing. That's why I chose this hotel, they know how to be discreet."

I thought about that for a few minutes and then my curiosity got the better of me. "Ok, you heard my story, now tell me what happened out at the farm."

Ranger shifted on the couch so he was leaning up against the arm and pulled me up between his legs. My back was against his chest and his arms were wrapped around my waist. Once we were both settled comfortably he said, "We scouted out a spot for the ambush on the secondary road into the farm. Most of these guys use armor plating in their private vehicles, so we had to get them out of the vehicle before we could attack. The only way we could do that without raising suspicion is to put something they would expect to see in the road blocking their way."

This had me curious. "What did you use? A car?"

"No, an alligator."

I sat forward and looked at him over my shoulder, "I'm sorry, did you say 'an alligator'?"

Ranger gave me a little half smile. "Yes, an alligator. Cal is from Louisiana and has what you might call alligator wrangling experience. We took a gator from the drainage ditch and put him in the middle of the road so the car would have to stop."

I was stunned. "How did you know the car would stop? That they wouldn't just go around or run right over the alligator?"

"We made sure we got one big enough that they would have to stop," was his straight faced reply. Well of course they did. I guess that should have been obvious.

"Raul's men weren't well trained. You had already figured that out by watching the guards in the hospital. Anyway, when the car stopped for the alligator both bodyguards got out of the car and stood looking at the gator. Les and Ram took the guards out, leaving Raul sitting in the back of the car with both front doors wide open. Raul thought it was a power play by a rival and assumed he could buy his way out of whatever was going down. The rest of the team and I stayed out of sight until they had him out of the car. I let him try to talk his way out of dying to see if he would give us anything useful before I stepped out. As soon as he saw me, he knew he was a dead man."

"Once he had been eliminated we made our way to the farm. We went in silently and located Enrique. Hal took out the guard outside of his room, took Enrique and left. The rest of us went through and cleaned house. These guys were gangbangers with no military training. They never stood a chance against us."

I had a feeling Ranger was leaving a lot unsaid, but I was amazed that he had shared as much as he had. As we continued to sit together I still felt agitated and was waiting for the adrenaline crash I knew would come eventually. I could feel myself fidget as the tension refused to leave my body. I guess my restlessness finally got to him, and Ranger gently pushed me forward so he could slide out from behind me. He stood up and held out a hand to help me up. Once he had pulled me to my feet, he continued to pull me until I was flat against his body. His arms went around me and he lowered his mouth to mine.

The kiss was gentle, but I didn't want gentle. My agitated state needed more and I nipped at his bottom lip before kissing him again. As our mouths opened and our tongues collided, I moaned and I realized I did not want to stop. My hands had a mind of their own as made their way up under his t-shirt and reveled in the feel of warm, soft skin over the rock hard muscles running down his back. I groaned as he pulled back slightly but was rewarded by his t-shirt being stripped off before his mouth returned to mine. Kissing Ranger was amazing but I had an overwhelming need to taste more of him. I tore my mouth away from his and started licking and nipping my way down his neck. My hands were all over his chest and those amazing abs, and my mouth couldn't wait to follow where my hands were leading.

I popped open the button on his pants and unceremoniously pushed them down his legs. My hands and mouth continued on their delectable journey south. Ranger's hands were fisted in my hair as I feasted on mocha latte Cuban sex god. It was a complete power trip to have him on my terms. I'm not normally the aggressor when it comes to sex, but I was starting to think maybe I had been missing out on a whole lot of fun.

He groaned low in his throat and his hands tightened in my hair as my mouth closed around him. I was amazed that he continued to let me have complete control over what was happening, but I was determined to enjoy my new found power. He was my willing captive as I used my hands, mouth, tongue and teeth to tease and torment him before finally driving him over the edge. I continued to torment him with my mouth for a little longer and then sat back on my heels. I looked up from my position on the floor and smiled. "I guess I need more than just talking to decompress."

Ranger's eyes had gone from melted chocolate to obsidian. A smile spread across his face and the look he gave me sent a molten wave of lust through my body. He slid his pants back up enough to walk, lifted me up from the floor and carried me into the bedroom. "My turn, Babe."

Oh boy, I could really get into the decompression stuff.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: **The one you recognize belong to JE, but I'm having an amazing time playing with them.

**A/N: **Thank you for your reviews, feedback, suggestions and kind words. Loved the idea of a mocha latte Cuban sex god ice cream flavor. Make mine a double!

**Chapter 9**

The sound of Ranger's watch alarm pulled me up out of the depths of oblivion much too early. It felt like I had only been asleep for a few minutes instead of a few hours. After I finished having my way with him, Ranger had taken some time to decompress on me before joining me in a mutually satisfying decompression session. I awoke with two strong arms wrapped around me, a wall of warm granite against my back and an extremely satisfied smile on my face.

Fortunately, with the guys joining us and the preparations to get Isabella and Enrique ready and off to the airport, I had no time for awkward, morning after worries. I fell asleep as soon as I got settled on the plane and we were back in Trenton before I awoke again.

When our plane landed at the same private airport from which we had left, I was amazed to realize that was less than 72 hours ago. So much had happened in that short time. The guys made short work of unloading the plane and loaded all the gear and luggage in the waiting SUV's. While Bobby helped Isabella into the Cayenne, Ranger came over to me.

"Tank is going to see that you get home safely. I'm taking Bella and Enrique to our parent's house. I may be away for a few days wrapping up any loose ends to make sure they stay safe. Call Tank if you need anything while I'm gone." He gave me a light kiss on the lips and headed to the Porsche.

I headed over to the SUV and climbed in. It was a bit of a crush between the hulking masses of muscle but it was a good kind of squeeze. The warmth from the bodies on both sides of me coupled with the stress and exhaustion of the last few days had me sleeping before we were off the access road from the airport. The next thing I knew, Hal was gentling shaking me and telling me I was home. He didn't seem to mind that I had used his huge bicep as a pillow so I just gave him a small smile of thanks.

We piled out of the SUV and Tank pulled my bag out of the back of the Explorer. I gave Tank a big smile and said "Thanks for the ride," as I stuck out my hand for my bag. He just gave me a blank look and turned to walk into my apartment building. I should have known no one from RangeMan would ever leave me on the doorstep. I followed him into the building and on to the elevator for the short ride to the second floor. When we got to the door, Tank took my key from me and did the standard sweep through my apartment. Satisfied there was no one waiting to attack me, he walked back through the door and handed me back my keys.

"Let me know if you need anything while Ranger is out of town."

"Thanks, Tank. I'll be fine but I appreciate the offer."

I closed and locked the door after him and slid home the floor bolt. The quiet in my apartment was both soothing and discomforting at the same time. I walked into the kitchen to say hi to my roommate but was greeted by an empty counter. I had forgotten that Ranger was going to have Ella hamster-sit while we were gone. There was a note where Rex's cage should be that said "Call me." I recognized Joe's handwriting but thought it was a little arrogant of him to not sign the note. Great, it looked like Joe was holding Rex hostage to make me call him.

I decided I wasn't up to dealing with Joe and the fight I knew was coming, so I decided to delay it a while longer. A hot shower, a nap and an evening of mindless TV seemed like a much better idea. After spending the last few days with so many bodies in close proximity, it felt good to be alone in my own space again.

I plopped down on my bed in my thinking position and before I knew it, the afternoon was gone. Still groggy, I decided I needed some help to wake me up, so I stood in the shower until the hot water ran out. I toweled off and put on a RangeMan t-shirt in Ranger's size that had found its way into my drawer and a pair of baggy sweats. Dinner was dialed from the Chinese restaurant around the corner. Fifteen minutes later I had my General Tso's chicken, fried rice and egg rolls and a hot date with the Ghostbusters. Did I know how to party or what?

I woke up the next morning and decided my evening at home was just what I needed to get back on track. I had slept straight through the night and actually woke up before noon. I headed out to the kitchen to put on the coffee and stared at the empty counter where Rex's tank should be. I still needed to retrieve Rex from Joe's house. My plan was to sneak over while Joe was at work and grab Rex. He didn't know I was back in town yet and wouldn't be expecting me. This way I could put off the inevitable a little while longer. It wasn't that I was afraid of Joe's anger, I had faced that enough times. I just didn't know how I wanted the fight to end. Joe had said we were over, but that had been said by both of us many times before. This time felt different. I felt like I might be okay with it being over. Joe had told me once there was a him and a me, and sometimes we were together, but there was no us. I was starting to agree.

I took my coffee and headed off to the shower to get started with my day. After I was dressed, I did the hair thing and added a couple swipes of mascara. I wanted to stop by the office to see if anything came in while I was gone and then I was going to swing by Joe's house to pick up Rex. I should be able to get in and out before he came off shift and he realized I had rescued his hostage. In honor of my hostage rescue mission, I had dressed in a black v-neck t-shirt, black jeans and my CAT boots. I can be a badass, too.

Connie was sitting at her desk painting her nails and Lula was snoring on the couch when I walked into the bonds office a short time later. Since I had no food in my apartment, I had stopped and picked up a dozen donuts at Tasty Pastry on my way in. As I set the box on Connie's desk, Lula gave a snort, sat up and said "I smell donuts."

Connie and I both laughed as we all grabbed a donut and started catching up. As we chatted, I flipped through the three files Connie had handed to me. All three were low bond skips that wouldn't earn me enough to cover the rent, but would keep me in takeout Chinese and meatball subs for a while.

The first file was for Walter Dunphy, a.k.a MoonMan, a.k.a. Mooner. Mooner had been a stoner in high school and not much has changed since then. He lives in his own cosmic universe that doesn't adhere to our standards of date and time. Because of this, he had missed his court date again. I'm guessing there was a Gilligan's Island or an I Dream of Jeannie marathon on that day and he forgot to go to court.

I opened the second file and saw this was a geriatric shoplifter who got caught stealing Metamucil from the Shop N Bag. I hated going after the senior citizens. They were crafty and you couldn't gas or stun them. Plus, most of them lived on a fixed income and turned to shoplifting when money fell short, so it was hard not to feel sorry for them. Even though I would never condone theft, Metamucil is expensive and regularity is important.

The last file was for Stella Kolowsky. Stella had been a year behind me in school and graduated with a baby bump and a wedding date. The charge was destruction of property and assault.

"What happened with Stella? When I knew her in school she was kind of quiet and kept to herself. The only one she ever hung out with was Freddie Kolowsky, and we know what happened there."

"She was working as a crossing guard in front of her daughter's school. Some jerk ignored her 'Stop' sign and and almost hit some kids crossing the road. He only stopped when Stella drove her sign through his front windshield. Once he stopped, she yanked him out of the car and started beating him with her sign. She's very protective of those kids."

"Wow, the courts should be giving her a commendation, not an arrest warrant!" Lula said between bites.

"A lot of the parents feel the same way. I expect she will get off with just community service, if she gets anything at all. But we need to get her back into the system. Give me a call when you've picked her up and I'll meet you at the station to rebond her."

I stuck the files into my messenger bag and dusted the donut crumbs off my black t-shirt as best as I could and stood up to leave. "I have some things to do today but will start rounding up these three tomorrow. Lula, you want to ride shotgun with me tomorrow?"

"You bet. I'll be ready to rock and roll and kick some felon ass. We've got to be done by 11:00 though. I've got an appointment to have my nails done and Shirlene doesn't like it if you're late."

"Sounds good. I'll see you tomorrow morning at 9:00. We'll pick up Stella early so Connie can get her rebonded in time to cover the crosswalk after school."

I headed out the door and climbed into my latest POS car. As far as my cars go, this one was actually a step up. There were no fluids leaking and the heater blew tepid air. The radio was busted but that was only a problem for Lula. Most of the car was the same dark gray with the exception of the rust around the fenders, but the rust was solid and there were no holes where there shouldn't be. Plus all of the glass was intact and there were no bullet holes in the sheet metal.

I had several errands to run before I went after Rex so I figured I had better get busy. I stopped in at my parents' house to let my mom know I was back and she insisted I stay for lunch. I ate my ham and cheese, macaroni salad and dill pickles while Mom and Grandma caught me up on Mrs. DeCosta's daughter's engagement and we talked about the rumor that it might have to be a rushed wedding. Then I heard about Joey Spinelli's drunken fight with his neighbor over the shrubs on the property line between their houses. Apparently Joey took a disliking to the shrubs and dismembered them with a chainsaw. Good to know he had a chainsaw. Vinnie will have written the bond, and Joey was most likely not going to be eager to head to court. Over a slice of chocolate cake, I found out who was being laid out at the funeral home and what had been going on with my sister Val's girls. It was good to get back to normal, or as normal as the Burg can be, after Miami. After thanking Mom for lunch and insisting that I needed to finish my errands, I headed out to the bank to deposit the skip checks I had been carrying around for a couple of days. Now I could afford to get some groceries.

I was feeling pretty good and humming along to the song on my internal iPod as I motored over to Morelli's house, ready to execute my rescue mission. As I pulled up, my good mood evaporated at the sight of his SUV parked in front of his house. I sat in my car for a few minutes with the motor running, seriously considering driving away. I decided that wasn't fair to Rex, so I turned off the car and grabbed my messenger bag from the passenger seat. As I headed up the walkway to the front door I took a deep breath and realized I was preparing for battle. It occurred to me this probably wasn't the way I should be feeling as I walked towards my boyfriend's front door.


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: **Everything recognizable belongs to JE

**A/N: **Thank you all for your comments. I love reading your reviews. Please keep them coming!

**Chapter 10**

As I walked through the front door I was surprised to see Joe sitting on the couch. His clothes looked like they had been slept in and he hadn't shaved in a couple of days. There was a tumbler of what looked like whiskey in his hand and it took a moment for his eyes to focus on me. When they finally did, I felt a shiver of apprehension run up my spine. I wasn't afraid of Joe, but at that moment I was definitely uneasy. Morelli men and whiskey never mixed well.

"You're back," he said in a flat tone. I guess the fact that I was standing in his living room tipped him off. No wonder he was a detective. I decided it was probably best to keep that thought to myself.

"I just stopped by to pick up Rex. I know we need to talk, but I don't think now is a good time."

"When the hell would be a good time, Cupcake? After you're done fucking around with Manoso?" The tone of Joe's voice made me even more uneasy. He wasn't yelling like he usually does when he's mad. This was said in a cold, hard tone that was not at all what I was used to from him. This was stone cold rage.

"Joe, I think I should just take Rex and leave. You're drunk and neither one of us should be doing this right now. We need to take some time and make some decisions about where we want our relationship to go before we try to sort things out."

I moved past him and into the kitchen where I set my bag on the counter so I could gather up Rex's things. As I reached for the bag of hamster crunchies on the counter Joe grabbed my arm and spun me around forcefully.

"Oh, we're going to get this sorted out Cupcake, and we're going to get it sorted out right now," he said in the same cold, hard voice he used before.

"Joe, stop it. You're drunk and you're starting to scare me. Let me get Rex now, and we'll talk once you sober up."

I tried to free my arm from his grasp but when I did, it was like I had lit the fuse on his rage. He grabbed both my arms and slammed me up against the wall with enough force to rattle my teeth. As he held me pinned against the wall he crushed his mouth against mine hard enough to split my lip. I could taste the blood as he forced his tongue into my mouth. I bit down hard on his tongue and he pulled back. There was no warning at all as he back-handed me across the cheek. If he hadn't been holding me up with his other hand I would have fallen from the blow.

I was completely stunned by the violence. Morelli men were known for being drunks and abusers, but everyone believed Joe had escaped the Morelli curse. I guess the apple didn't fall far from the tree after all.

Joe took advantage of my shock to grab both of my hands and pin them above my head. He held both my hands in one of his while he slid the other hand up under my t-shirt. He leaned into my face and said in the same cold voice "You're mine Cupcake. Manoso had his fun but you'll always be mine. You always come back. That's why you're here now. You can't stay away from me and my boys."

As he said this he started rubbing his erection against me and I could feel how excited he was getting from hurting me. Once again he crushed his mouth down on mine and forced his tongue into my mouth. I whimpered at the pain from my split lip but Joe took it as a sign that I was getting as turned on as he was.

"I didn't know you liked it rough, Cupcake. Is that how it is with Manoso? Do you like it when the thug gets rough? And here I thought you were a good little Burg girl. Guess it's time to find out what I've been missing out on. You're mine, Cupcake. I'm going to make sure you never forget that."

With that, he grabbed the neck of my t-shirt and ripped it open. He bent down and painfully bit the top of my breast, leaving an ugly red mark. I let out a small scream, more from surprise than from the pain itself, but it only encouraged Joe more. I realized that if I didn't do something, things were going to get really ugly.

Using what I hoped sounded like a sexy voice, I said "Let go of my hands, Joe. I want to touch you. I want to show you how much I like what you're doing."

Joe bent over and bit the tendon on my neck, marking me again before releasing my hands. He moved back slightly to reach for my breasts and gave me just enough room to do what I do best. I dropped my hands to his shoulders to give myself some leverage and drove my knee up as hard as I could into his 'boys'.

Joe let out an inhuman sound and collapsed to the floor. He curled up into a fetal position with his hands cupping his groin. I ran over to my bag and pulled out my stun gun.

"Touch me again, asshole, and I'll have you arrested." With that, I put the prongs of the stun gun against the back of his neck and pulled the trigger.

I threw the stun gun back into my bag and grabbed Rex and his crunchies and headed out the door as quickly as my shaking legs would carry me. I used Rex's tank to hold the tattered remains of my shirt up as best as I could as I made the way down the sidewalk. I was praying the neighbors wouldn't see me as I made my way back to my car. I secured Rex's tank with the seatbelt and climbed in. My hands were shaking so badly it took me several tries to get the key into the ignition. I finally managed to get my car started and headed towards my apartment.

I don't know how I managed to drive home without killing myself or someone else on the road. I had to pull over one time because I thought I was going to throw up, but, other than that, the drive was without mishap. As I parked beside the dumpster I took a quick look around to make sure none of my neighbors were out in the parking lot. Thankfully, they were all safely tucked in for the night watching television and no one was around to witness my latest humiliation.

I used Rex's tank again to hide my ripped shirt and made my way into the building and the elevator. I breathed a sigh of relief as I opened the door to my apartment without running into any of my neighbors. My relief was short lived when I realized I wasn't alone in my apartment.

I could see someone sitting in the armchair of my darkened living room. His black clothing made him look like a shadow until he reached over and turned on the lamp on the table beside him. He gave me a quick once over and asked, "Are you okay, Babe?"

What could I say? I didn't want to tell him the truth. I was humiliated that I had let Joe hurt me and that I hadn't seen it coming. I pick up abusers all the time. How could I have not seen this coming?

"I thought you were going to be away for a few days." I brilliantly deflected.

"I had some things to take care of before I head back down to Miami. I asked if you were okay." he said with his blank face in place.

"I'm fine. Thanks for checking on me. I'll see you later."

I continued to stand in the foyer holding Rex's tank in front of me like a shield. I couldn't hide the damage to my face but I didn't want Ranger to see rest. I stood rooted to the spot as Ranger slowly got up and walked towards me. He took Rex's tank from me and my shirt fell open as soon as he did. The bruises from the rough handling were just starting to come out and the bite marks were vivid against my pale Hungarian skin.

Ranger carried Rex's tank to its home on the counter and gently set it down. As he walked back towards me I couldn't meet his eyes. I just stared down and watched as his feet came closer and closer.

"Morelli?" he asked in his quiet voice. As scary as Joe was with his quiet voice, he had nothing on this guy.

"I'm fine. I handled it. I told him if he ever touched me again I would have him arrested."

"Was this before or after he attempted to rape you?"

My eyes flew up to his face as I realized that was exactly what would have happened if I hadn't been able to stop Joe when I did. Ranger started to move toward the door and I grabbed his arm like I could actually stop him from doing whatever he wanted to do.

"Please, Ranger. Don't. Please. I handled it. If you go over there it will just make things worse. Everyone will think it's my fault and if you kill him you'll go to jail and I couldn't live with myself if you went to jail because of me and I can't do this and I just, I ….can't…..Please. Promise me you won't kill him, please Ranger?" I realized I was babbling hysterically, but I couldn't help it. I was on emotional overload and just couldn't deal with any more. I didn't even realize I was crying until Ranger reached over to gently wipe the tears from my cheek.

"I promise you, I won't kill Joe. Okay, Steph? I promise."

Ranger has never broken a promise to me so I breathed a sigh of relief. With that surge of relief, my body suddenly lost the ability to remain upright and I started to collapse. Ranger caught me before I could hit the floor and carried me over to the couch. He sat down and cradled me to his chest while I sobbed. As the heat from his body flowed into mine, I realized how cold I was. Ranger felt me shiver and wrapped the throw from the back of the couch around me. Between the crying, the body heat and the adrenaline crash, I suddenly felt too exhausted to move. My sobs turned to whimpers and I drifted off to the soothing sound of his heart beating in his chest. My last coherent thought was how much I loved how safe he made me feel.

I remember waking up to Ranger carrying me to the bedroom and removing my boots and jeans. I felt the bed dip as he crawled in with me and then the warmth of his body as he pulled me against him. He kissed the top of my head and I fell back into a deep and dreamless sleep.

I awoke the next morning alone in bed, but the smell of coffee coming from my kitchen was promising. I pulled off the tattered remains of my t-shirt and slipped into a RangeMan sweatshirt. I made a conscious effort not to look in the mirror as I washed my face, brushed my teeth and pulled my hair back into a ponytail. A pair of yoga pants completed my look as I headed out into the kitchen. When I walked into the kitchen I found Ranger leaning against the counter with a mug in his hand. As he handed me my own mug, I spotted a white bakery bag on the counter. The smile on my face was only tempered slightly by the split lip as I happily peaked in the bag.

In answer to my questioning look, he said, "I thought you could use some happy food this morning."

"Thank you, Ranger. These aren't totally unhealthy you know. The raspberry in the jelly doughnuts is technically a fruit."

I could see he was thinking about smiling as I happily consumed my breakfast. Just as I took the last bite my phone rang. Caller ID said it was my mother and I didn't want to ruin my jelly doughnut happy just yet, so I let the machine pick up.

"Stephanie, this is your mother. Stephanie, are you there? I just heard about poor Joseph."

As she said this my eyes flew to Ranger's face. The blank face was back and I just stared at him as my mother continued.

"Mrs. Simpson's daughter Maddie works at the hospital and she said he was brought in by ambulance about 2 o'clock this morning. Apparently he was drunk and fell down his stairs. She said he had a dislocated shoulder and a couple of broken ribs. She also said he is black and blue from head to toe and that his nose was broken again. No one can understand how he managed to rupture a testicle as well. He was lucky he wasn't killed!"

At this last comment, I gave Ranger my best Burg girl death stare. He didn't even try to hide his smile at that.

"I promised you I wouldn't kill him, and I didn't."

"I can't believe you went over and beat the crap out of him for me. I told you I had dealt with it."

"I didn't do it for you, Babe. I did it for me. I know you dealt with it. Where do you think he got the ruptured testicle? Your knee should be a registered weapon."

"What do you mean you did it 'for you'?" I couldn't understand that statement at all.

Ranger walked over and wrapped his arms around me to gently pull me against his chest. He kissed the top of my head and said, "I will no longer allow the women I love to be abused just because they think they have to handle the abusers on their own. I let Bella push me away until I almost lost her and I'm not going to make the same mistake with you. I need you in my life in whatever capacity you choose, and I won't risk losing you."

"Good to know you love me like your sister." I tried not to think about why that made me want to cry.

He kissed the top of my head again and then leaned back so he could look at me when he spoke. "I love you as much as my sister, but not in a sisterly way. I've told you before that I love you in my own way, and I do. I love you completely and with every ounce of my being - the only way I know how to do anything."

"When Bella was hurt, I knew you would be able to get access to her in the hospital easier than anyone else, but that wasn't why I came to get you. I needed you. I needed you with me to keep me from losing my mind from worry and guilt. I needed your strength and compassion. I needed you for everything you are and the light you bring to my darkness."

I was stunned and it must have shown on my face. Ranger pushed my chin up with a single finger and gently kissed my lips. For once in my life I was speechless. Giving me one more gentle kiss, he left without another word. I looked over at Rex, who had witnessed the whole thing from his glass home, and said, "Holy shit, Batman."


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: **Anything recognizable belongs to JE.

**A/N: **Thank you to all who leave reviews. I love to read what you think of the story.

When I started posting, I had the early chapters mostly completed and was able to post frequently. I have the story arc in my head but I want to be sure I am giving you my best effort, so I won't be posting as frequently going forward. I promise, I will complete the story!

**Chapter 11**

I took a quick look at the clock and realized I had to meet Lula in 45 minutes. I took a quick shower and blasted my hair with the hair dryer just enough so it wouldn't drip onto the back of my shirt and pulled it up into a ponytail. I found a clean t-shirt and grabbed the cleanest pair of jeans I could find in the pile and made a mental note to do laundry. I didn't have time for the major make-up job it would have required to hide the bruises on my face but I did my best with concealer and powder, added a couple of swipes of mascara and some lip gloss and called it good. I grabbed my phone and threw it in my purse with my stun gun and cuffs. I realized I hadn't recharged my stun gun after using it on Joe, but really didn't think I would need it today anyway.

Just because I was already running late, I hit every red light between home and the office. Horns were honked and hand gestures were given and I was ready to rumble when I pulled up to the bonds office 10 minutes late. Fortunately, Connie had stopped to pick up doughnuts and Lula was just finishing hers when I ran through door.

I didn't mean to make such a dramatic entrance, but Lula and Connie both turned and stared mouth agape as I stood there.

"What in the hell happened to your face?" Lula asked. "Did you decide to go after one of those skips on your own yesterday or something?"

I guess I should have used more concealer. "No, I had a run in with Morelli and his whiskey last night. Let's just say Joe and I are done for good and leave it at that."

Lula huffed at that. "I always thought that Italian stallion was nothing but a jackass. You're damn skippy you're done for good. No one treats my friends like that. He ever comes near you again, I'm likely to bust a cap up his ass."

"I'm guessing this has something to do with the rumors I heard about a drunk Morelli falling down a flight of stairs last night?" Connie asked.

"Ranger was in my apartment when I got home from Morelli's house." I replied. No need to elaborate from there.

Connie started to grin. "The ruptured testicle?"

"My knee." That response brought on a full-fledged smile from both women. I was done talking about it and ready to move on. Surprisingly, they let me.

"Lula, you ready to go get Stella? I want to make sure she has time to get rebonded and back home before the kids get out of school."

"Let's ride. But we're taking my car on account of your car is seriously lacking in the music department. How anyone can function without tunes is beyond me."

Stella and her family lived in the Burg, not far from my parents. I didn't think we'd have any problems, but I sent Lula around to guard the back, just in case. There was a minivan in the driveway and I could hear the TV on in the house. I knocked on the door and stood to the side while I waited for the door to open. Stella opened the door with a polite Burg housewife smile before she recognized me.

"Stephanie Plum, oh my God, I haven't seen you in ages. What are you doing here?" Since my name and occupation was in the papers on a regular basis, I'm guessing she had either completely forgotten her court date or deserved an Academy award for best actress.

"Hi Stella. I represent Vincent Plum Bail Bonds. You missed your court date so I've come to take you down to the courthouse so you can get rescheduled in the system."

"Oh, that's really sweet of you, but I'm not going to court. I don't think I should be the one in trouble since I was just doing my job, and every one of the parents I've spoken to agrees with me. The jerk who ignored my stop sign should be the one in trouble, not me."

Stella was sweet, but she was never the brightest bulb in the chandelier. As I continued to try to explain to Stella that she needed to take that up with the judge, Lula came strolling through the house. She walked up behind Stella and said "I got tired of waiting out back. Is this going to take much longer? I've got a nail appointment at 11:00."

Stella let a shriek when Lula started to speak directly behind her. That she didn't notice a big, beautiful woman walking up behind her was a little alarming. She really needed to be more aware of her surroundings.

"Sorry, Stella. This is my partner Lula. If you'll come quietly, we'll all calmly walk out to the car and drive away and your neighbors won't have any idea what's going on. If you don't cooperate, Lula will use her stun gun and we'll carry you out of here in handcuffs. I really don't like doing that, but we have to take you to get rescheduled. Connie will be waiting at the station to rebond you so you can be back home before your kids get out of school. Now, how do you want to do this?"

I knew there was no way Stella would want her neighbors to witness her humiliation and I shamelessly used that to get her in the car. As promised, I called Connie once we were on our way. We got to the station without mishap and I apologized to Stella for having to cuff her to the bench as I handed over the paperwork to the desk sergeant and got my body receipt.

As I was headed back out the door I heard Eddie Gazarra call my name. I had known Eddie my entire life and he was married to my cousin Shirley the Whiner. I paused in the hallway and waited for Eddie to catch up, hoping he wasn't just looking for a babysitter for his brat pack. Eddie was family and all, but the last time I babysat for him it took me half a jar of peanut butter to get the gum out of my hair. Lesson learned, do not turn my back on those kids for a second.

Eddie came over and gave my face the once over. "I heard those bruises didn't come from a skip this time, is that true?"

I didn't know what to say. I was still embarrassed by the fact that I had been hit by my now ex-boyfriend. I just shook my head and glanced away.

"That son of a bitch. Steph, you have nothing to be embarrassed about. None of us thought he would ever sink this low. Sure, we all knew he had a hell of a temper, but never this. Listen, are you going to press charges?"

My eyes flew up, stunned that he would even ask that question. "Of course not, Eddie. I couldn't do that to Joe. It would ruin his career."

"You wouldn't be doing anything to Joe. Joe did it to himself when he made the choice to hit you." Eddie said, speaking in low tones to keep the conversation between us. I could tell he was frustrated that I didn't want to press charges but didn't want to make a scene.

"I appreciate that you are trying to help me, but Eddie, this was just a one-time thing." Well, two if you counted the bruise and the shove when I was leaving with Ranger, but Eddie didn't need to know about that.

"Okay, Steph. But if he ever comes near you again I want you to call me. Carl and Big Dog are here for you, too. No one deserves to be treated like this. I have to say, I wasn't sorry to hear about the little 'spill' he took down the stairs," he added with a small grin. I gave Eddie a quick hug and thanked him before heading for the door. It felt good to know I had some really great friends.

I walked out into the sunshine and looked over to where I had left Lula. Nothing. Not that this was much of a surprise. I let out a sigh, wondering if my dad would be able to come pick me up. I pulled out my cell phone and called Lula just to make sure she hadn't just gone on a doughnut run or something. Just as my call went to voicemail I saw a black Ford Explorer pull up to the loading dock. Ram and Lester got out and Ram pulled the handcuffed and shackled FTA from the back seat and headed into the station. As soon as Ram had made it through the doors Les headed over in my direction.

"Hey, Bomber. Are you walking in your skips now?" Lester is the RangeMan comedian, even if he's the only one who thinks he's funny.

"Actually, I was just standing around hoping some hot guy in black would show up to give me a ride. Then Ram showed up. Must be my lucky day," I said as I gave him my best innocent look.

Never one to miss a chance at drama, Lester clutched his hands to his heart and gave me a wounded look before we both started laughing.

"Actually, Lula ditched me. Would you mind giving me a lift back to my car? I left it at the bonds office."

Lester wrapped a friendly arm over my shoulders and started walking me over to the SUV. "No problem, once Ram gets done with the hand off we're headed that way to drop off this receipt and pick up a couple of new files. Hop in."

I climbed into the back seat and Lester turned in the driver's seat so we could talk while we waited for Ram. Les was one of the more chatty of the Merry Men and was actually pretty funny when he wasn't being a smart ass.

"So how you doing, Steph? I heard you nailed the bastard in the nuts. You okay?"

I sighed. I guess everyone knew the story or some version of it by now. "I'm fine. I just can't believe I let it happen. I bring these assholes in all the time. How did I not see him for what he is?"

Lester sighed and shook his head. "None of us saw it coming. It wasn't just you. You can't blame yourself. Look at Isabella. Do you think she had any idea what a psychopath her husband was going to turn out to be? I've met some sick motherfuckers in my life, but this guy is in the top five."

I wasn't sure what Les meant by that, so he continued, "How much did Ranger tell you about what Raul said when we pulled him out of the car?"

"He really didn't get into a lot of detail, only that Raul tried to bribe you guys into letting him go," I recalled.

Lester shook his head. "There was a lot more to it than that. Raul thought it was just me and Ram and that we were hitmen from a rival. He offered us jobs as his bodyguards, saying it was obvious we were more skilled than the assholes we had just shot. He told us to name our price and then he offered us a little 'sign on bonus.' He said he had a kid he had been holding captive until he could get the kid's mother to his alligator farm. Once he got the mother to the farm, he was going to force her to watch while he gave the kid to the gators. Then he told us we could have the first shot at the woman. Said she was going to become 'company property' since he was through with her and he was going to turn her over to the men on the farm. Said it was going to be her punishment for betraying him."

"Ranger appeared out of nowhere and never said a word. You could see the recognition in Raul's face, and then Ranger fired. At least Raul was dead when he was tossed to the gators. That was more than he was going to give his own son. There is a special place in Hell for people like Raul and Ranger made sure he got there."


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer:** Everything recognizable belongs to JE

**A/N:** Please keep the reviews coming! I really appreciate all the love, encouragement and ideas.

**Chapter 12**

The passenger door opened and Ram took one look at me and asked, "What the hell did you say, Santos?"

"Its okay, Ram. Les was telling me about Raul's take down. I can't believe he was going to kill his own child like that. What kind of depraved human being even thinks of something like that?"

Ram just shook his head and muttered, "You need to learn to keep your mouth shut, Santos." Then to me he said, "Steph, he wasn't a human being. He was a living, breathing monster."

We rode back to the bonds office in silence. Lester and Ram were both in their RangeMan zone and I sat quietly in the back, lost in my own thoughts. I'm not an overly religious person, unless you count that time my period was late, but I really did hope there was a special place in Hell for Raul. Ram was right, he wasn't a man, he was a monster. Isabella and Enrique were lucky to have survived him.

Les pulled up to the curb in front of the bonds office and we all piled out. Connie looked up from her computer as we walked in and I swear she licked her lips and checked for drool. I chuckled a little at her reaction. Les and Ram were both pretty easy on the eyes, but personally, I had a thing for their boss man. Ram handed Connie the body receipt for the FTA they had brought in and asked her to mail the check to RangeMan. Lester took the two files she handed to him and then he and Ram headed out to save the world, or at least that's what Les said as they were leaving. I suspect they were really headed off to get lunch.

I gave Connie the body receipt for Stella and she wrote out my check. It wasn't much, but it would buy some peanut butter and worthless white bread so I wouldn't starve this week. I still had two more skips to pick up but my stomach was telling me they could wait. Plus, if I didn't get some laundry done, I would be going commando in dirty jeans tomorrow and that just didn't seem hygienic.

I decided to grab my dirty clothes and head over to my parent's house and mooch some lunch while I did my laundry. My grandmother was standing in the door when I pulled up to the curb. Grandma Mazur liked to think she was head of the neighborhood watch, keeping a vigilant eye on the comings and goings of their street. I knew she was just nosy and hated to miss anything. Either way, she was there to open the door for me as I carried in my dirty laundry piled to overflowing in the basket.

"Hi, Stephanie. You're just in time for lunch. We've got some fresh cold cuts from the deli and a potato salad. And there are homemade chocolate chip cookies for dessert."

"Hi, Grandma. Hi, Mom. Is it okay if I throw some laundry in while I'm here?" I was really hoping she would offer to do it for me, but I didn't want to be obvious.

Grandma saw right through me and said, "Leave it. I've got nothing to do this afternoon but watch the The Weather Channel and irritate your father. I'll take care of it for you."

I thanked her as we made our way into the kitchen. I said hi to my mom while she continued rummaging in the refrigerator for the cold cuts and condiments for our sandwiches. I grabbed plates and glasses for everyone, and Grandma and I sat down at the kitchen table. Mom turned around to set everything on the table and finally caught sight of my battered face. She stopped dead in her tracks for just a second and then continued to set our sandwich fixings on the table without a word.

We made our sandwiches and started eating in silence. I knew what was coming but I was willing to delay it for as long as possible. Finally, my grandmother couldn't take it any longer.

"That's a beaut of a bruise you got there, Steph. What does the other guy look like?"

I grinned just a little as I remembered Joe curled in a fetal position clutching his groin. My grin quickly disappeared when my mother started in.

"What must people think when they see your face? People with normal jobs don't get beat up at work. What must Joseph think when you come home looking like a prize fighter?"

Before she could develop a full head of steam on this rant I decided to cut her off with a little dose of the truth. "Actually, Mom, Joe is the one who did this. Maybe he likes prize fighters."

"Stephanie Plum, that is not funny. I didn't raise you to say such things about the man you're going to marry. You're lucky he puts up with your bounty hunter nonsense. Joseph loves you and you shouldn't make jokes like that. What will people think?"

"This didn't happen because of my job, Mom. Joe was drunk and angry and he hit me."

I could see that my mother still didn't believe what I was saying. "Why on earth would he do such a thing? Joseph is not like his father. He would never raise a hand to a woman in anger."

I just shook my head. This woman was the Queen of Denial. "Mom, the proof is right in front of you. Joe was mad because I left to help Ranger. Ranger needed help rescuing his sister and nephew, so I flew with him to Miami for a few days. Joe was angry that I left so he took Rex to his house so I would have to go see him when I got back. He was drunk and attacked me."

My mother just shook her head like I was a simpleton, "Of course Joe was angry. Why were you running off with Ranger when you should have been home with Joe? What would people think if they knew you were going away with another man when you and Joe are practically engaged? You're lucky he puts up with your crazy life. You need to find a normal job and settle down. If you weren't a bounty hunter Ranger wouldn't be calling you. You would be home with Joe where you belong and not be making him angry."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing from my own mother. I pushed my plate away, wondering if I was going to keep down what I had already eaten. I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself enough to speak.

"First of all, Joe and I were not practically engaged. That was your wishful thinking. Secondly, Ranger helps me all the time. If he needs my help, I will be there for him. Anytime, any place. And lastly, whether or not Joe had a reason to be angry, he had no right to hit me. It's over for good this time. I deserve better." As I was saying this, I wondered why I had to explain this to my own mother.

"Good for you, Steph. You do deserve better than that horse's patoot and don't you let anyone tell you differently." Grandma looked pointedly at my mother when she said the last part.

I guess my mother wasn't listening though. "Stephanie, you need to go and apologize to Joseph for embarrassing him like that. Make him a nice romantic dinner and I'm sure he'll forgive you."

I couldn't listen to anymore. I stood up and threw what was left of my lunch in the trash. I grabbed my bag and headed for the front door but stopped before I got there. Turning, I saw my mother standing in the kitchen door staring at me like I had two heads.

"Mom, I love you, but I can't be around you right now. I can't believe you would want me to apologize to the man who assaulted me. You know what Angie Morelli went through at the hands of an abusive husband. Why would you want that for me?" With that, I turned and left. Joe's mom had suffered for years at the hands of her cheating, abusive husband before the drinking sent him to an early grave. By Burg standards, Angie Morelli is considered practically a saint for putting up with the abuse rather than leaving the bastard. How messed up is that?

I still had two outstanding skips to pick up and I needed the money, so I didn't have time to throw myself a pity party. Thankfully, first on my list was Mooner so I headed over to his place. Picking up Mooner tends to involve TV and snacks, but rarely much effort. This was just the kind of afternoon I needed after lunch with my mother.

I knocked a couple of times but no one came to the door. I could hear the TV on, so I let myself in. Mooner was sitting on the couch with a bowl of popcorn and a two liter bottle of store brand cola. He looked up and smiled as I made my way into the living room.

"Dudette! What's going on? I'm in the middle of a primo documentary on how aliens are slowly taking over the bodies of high ranking government officials all over the world. It really explains a lot about politicians."

I flopped down on the couch beside him and grabbed a handful of popcorn from the bowl. As I nibbled my popcorn I told Mooner that he had missed his court date and needed to reschedule after the show was over. I have to admit, the show really sucked me in with its theories. Mooner was right, it would explain a lot about politics if it were true.

I called Connie as we left so she could meet us at the station. I dropped Mooner off and grabbed my body receipt and then headed for home. I still had one more skip so I called Grandma Mazur to see if she knew Metamucil man.

"Sure, I know him. They're laying out Myra Horowitz tonight. He should be at the funeral home paying his respects."

I made arrangements to pick Grandma up at 6:30. She told me she would have my laundry done by then and I could grab that at the same time and not have to listen to my mother go off about Morelli again. Sounded like a great plan to me.

Good to her word, Grandma was standing on the porch with my basket full of clean, folded laundry when I pulled up at 6:30.

When we arrived at the funeral home I spotted my skip in the receiving line waiting to pay his respects to the family. My plan was to wait until he came out to the lobby for cookies and then I would quietly escort him away. As I stood in the lobby waiting, I heard what sounded like a hiss to my left and turned to find Joe's Grandma Bella beside me. Grandma Bella never thought I was good enough for her favorite grandson and had cursed me on several occasions. I assumed she would be thrilled we were no longer together but apparently there was no making this woman happy.

"You! You break my Joseph's heart. It's your fault he was hurt. I give you the eye and make your lady parts shrivel up."

Why did all her curses seem to involve my lady parts? Honestly, if she was going to curse my lady parts, I'd much rather have the vordo curse back.

"Back off, you old _strega_. You are not going to give my granddaughter the eye." Grandma Mazur and Grandma Bella have a mutual dislike of each other that had led to physical attacks not too long ago. Grandma Mazur had shoved a pie in Bella's face, and Bella retaliated by turning a garden hose on Grandma Mazur. The Burg loved a good scene to gossip about so everyone turned to watch what they hoped would be a good show.

"Your no good granddaughter broke my Joseph's heart. He's lying in the hospital broken because of this girl." Grandma Bella snarled.

Grandma Mazur let out a derisive snort and said, "Your precious grandson is lying in the hospital because he was drunk and fell down the stairs after he attacked my granddaughter. Look at the bruises on her face where he hit her. She left him because he was an abusive drunk, just like your son was."

There was a collective gasp as Grandma Mazur's words resonated through the room.

_strega (Ital.) = witch_


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: **Anything and anyone recognizable belong to JE.

**A/N:** Wow, we hit 200 reviews! Thank you all. I love reading your thoughts, ideas and feedback. And of course I love the love!

When I originally started writing, I thought this story would be told in twelve to fourteen chapters, but now it seems to have taken on a mind of its own and I'm enjoying the journey to see where it leads. Enjoy!

**Chapter 13**

Grandma Bella launched herself at Grandma Mazur like the Sicilian version of the Tasmanian devil, but Angie Morelli grabbed her arm before she could get her bony hands around Grandma's neck. I moved to stand between the two women, hoping to keep Grandma Mazur from going on the offensive. I saw Metamucil man making his way out the front door and decided to cut my losses for the night.

Angie Morelli continued to hold Grandma Bella's arm as she glared at me. "Why do you spread these lies about my Joseph? He would never do such a thing. Why do you want to hurt him like this?"

I had really had enough of the Saint Joseph of the Burg routine, both from my mother and from Joe's family. Grandma Bella scared the crap out of most people with her Sicilian voodoo, and Angie Morelli was revered as the uber-Burg housewife. Most people in the Burg crossed the street rather than meet them on the sidewalk, but I was sick of hearing about how Joe would never have hit me as I stood there with his bruises on my body.

"I did not hurt Joe. Joe hurt me. He did this and more in a drunken rage," I said, pointing to the bruise on my face. "I won't be any man's punching bag and you can tell your precious Joseph to stay the hell away from me or I will have him arrested for assault. _Capisce_?"

Only then did I realize the room had gone deathly silent. I noticed more than a few phones out recording the confrontation for those unlucky enough not to be in attendance. I grabbed Grandma Mazur's elbow and started steering her toward the door before anyone said or did anything else that would end up on social media.

I drove Grandma home and sat in my car as she made her way up the walk. I knew my mother's phone would have been ringing off the hook after the fight at the funeral home, and I didn't want to deal with her 'Why me?'s tonight. My mother came to the door and I drove off just as Grandma reached the porch. I told myself I wasn't being a coward, I was just choosing my battles. I decided had earned a little happy for standing up for myself and letting the Burg know the truth about Saint Joseph. A 'ménage a trois' with two of my favorite guys sounded pretty good, so I stopped at the convenience store to pick up my dates, Ben & Jerry, before I headed home.

There was a Trenton PD car in my lot when I rolled in and I saw Eddie Garzarra getting out as I took my usual spot next to the dumpster. I grabbed my messenger bag and my ice cream and met him half-way across the lot.

"Hey Eddie. What's up? You want to come up?" I asked, hoping for a 'no' since I really didn't want to share my ice cream.

"No thanks, Steph. I just stopped by to see how you were doing. I heard you and Grandma Mazur put Grandma Bella and Angie Morelli in their places at the funeral home tonight. That must have been fun."

"I don't know if I would call it 'fun', but it needed to be done. I've had it with the archaic blame the victim mentality I keep getting." I said. I suppose I could understand Grandma Bella and Angie Morelli having blinders on when it came to Joe, but I couldn't for the life of me understand how my own mother could defend him.

"Hang in there, Steph. Not sure if you heard, but Joe was released from the hospital this afternoon. He's home on medical leave for the next two weeks. Thought you would like to know." He gave me a quick hug. "I have to get going, I'm on patrol in a half hour. Call me if you need anything or if you have any problems."

"Thanks, Eddie. And thanks for letting me know about Joe. I'll see you later."

Eddie headed back to his patrol car and I headed into my building. I looked at the elevator but decided to take the stairs instead. I planned on eating the entire pint of Chunky Monkey and didn't want to end up looking like one.

My door was closed and locked and there were no lights on when I walked in. Since I was the only person in Trenton who seemed unable to break into my apartment, it was always a crap shoot as to whether or not someone would be there when I got home. In the past, it had usually been Morelli or Ranger, but Morelli had a key and Ranger was Batman, so I guess they didn't really count as breaking in. As that thought crossed my mind, I realized Morelli still had his key.

I said a quick hi to Rex and I stuck my ice cream in the freezer. I dropped a grape in Rex's tank and told him I would be right back. I grabbed a fresh six-pack out of the fridge then headed back out the door. Dillon was the building manager and lived in a small apartment in the basement. He was always willing to help me out, especially when I offered him beer. I was hoping he'd be able to help me with my lock situation tonight. The sound of a television was coming from his apartment as I knocked on his door. Dillon opened the door and smiled when he saw the beer.

"Hi Steph. What can I help you with?"

"I was hoping you could change the lock on my door. Joe and I have split up and he still has a key. It wasn't a pleasant parting and I don't want him to be able to get into my apartment, but I'm not comfortable going over and asking for my key back. Sorry my drama is creating work for you."

"No worries. Does this drama have anything to do with that bruise on your cheek?"

"Yeah, that's why I figured it was better to just change the lock rather than try to get my key back."

"Sorry, Steph. I can't do anything tonight but I will get a new lock set first thing in the morning and get that swapped out tomorrow. Do you feel safe staying at your place tonight or do you want to crash on my couch?"

"Thanks, but I'll be okay tonight. I've got the chain lock and he just got out of the hospital this afternoon. I don't think he's up to making house calls just yet."

Dillon grinned. "Did you have anything to do with him being in the hospital?"

I smiled sweetly and replied "There may have been some damage caused by my knee, but most of the injuries resulted from a nasty 'fall' down the stairs later in the evening." I included the air quotes when I said 'fall' and Dillon's grin got a little wider.

I handed over the beer and headed up to my apartment, relieved that I wouldn't have to worry about Morelli showing up while I slept. I slipped the chain in place and thought about propping one of my dining room chairs under the door knob. I decided that was a bit overly dramatic since Ranger was the only one I knew who could get in when the chain was on. Plus, I really didn't expect any visitors tonight.

Exhaustion swept over me as I stood in my living room trying to decide if I wanted to shower or eat ice cream first. Taking a mental inventory of my aches and pains from my encounter with Joe the previous evening made the decision for me. Hoping the hot water would help loosen some of my stiffness and help me relax, I headed for the bathroom. I stood under the hot spray until the water started to cool and was happy to realize the shower had helped. I toweled off and threw on one of Ranger's old t-shirts and a pair of boxer shorts before heading out to the kitchen for my hot date.

I grabbed my pint of ice cream and a spoon and settled into my favorite spot in the corner of my couch. It had been a long day and I was ready for some mindless television and ice cream for dinner. I still had to figure out how I was going to grab Metamucil man, but I was done for the night. One of the good things about living paycheck to paycheck was that I couldn't afford cable, so I didn't have to flip through 487 channels before I realized there was nothing to watch. I grabbed the remote and decided to watch whatever was already in the DVD player so I didn't have to move from my comfy spot on the couch.

The pint of ice cream made it through the first 25 minutes of Ghostbusters; I made it through another 10 minutes before I fell asleep on the couch. I was still on the couch when I woke up a few hours later. I laid there for a few seconds trying to figure out what woke me up. The movie was over and I could hear Rex running on his wheel but there was something else. I realized it sounded like something or someone was rubbing up against my door. I got up and grabbed the pepper spray out of my bag and crept silently over to the door to listen. The soft rubbing sound stopped and I stood staring at the doorknob, willing it not to move. I stood off to the side with my pepper spray aimed to spray anyone trying to open the door, but the knob didn't move.

When nothing happened after a minute or so, I checked through the peephole and didn't see anyone in the hall. I kicked myself for not looking out as soon as I heard the scuffing sounds, but I had been moving on instinct and hadn't wanted to stand directly in front of the door in case someone tried to open it. Giving the pepper spray another shake to make sure it was activated, I slowly started opening the door with the chain still attached. I kept the pepper spray aimed at the crack as I looked as far down the hall as I could with the chain still on. Whoever had been outside my door was gone, so I shut the door and removed the chain. I was still spooked so I kept my pepper spray in hand as I fully opened my door to see if I could figure out what my visitor had been up to.

The smell was overpowering as soon as I opened my door. The word "WHORE" had been painted in red and what looked and smelled like dog doo had been smeared all over my door. The overwhelming smell made me gag so I closed and locked my door. Eddie had just been going on patrol when I got home so I called TPD dispatch to see if he was still on duty. Thankfully he was and the dispatcher said she would get in touch with him and have him come by as soon as possible.

As I waited for Eddie, I sat on the couch considering who my late night visitor might be. Even if he wanted to, I didn't think Joe was physically able to get around well enough to do this. He would have had to drive himself over, vandalize my door, and then get away before I could see him. If this was from Joe, someone else would have had to deliver the message for him. If it wasn't from Joe, that would mean I had a new crazy after me. Sometimes I hated being so damn popular.

I was so lost in thought I screeched and jump about a foot when my cell phone rang on the couch beside me. I looked at the caller ID and saw that it was Eddie. I hoped he wasn't calling to say he'd caught another case.

"Eddie?"

"Hey, I'm not touching whatever this is on your door. Come open up, would you?"

I walked over and took a quick look through the peephole. Eddie was standing in the hall with a look of complete disgust on his face.

"Thanks for coming over." I said after I had unlocked and opened the door.

"No problem, it was a slow night for a change. Want to tell me what happened?" he asked.

"I had fallen asleep on the couch and woke up to the sound of something rubbing against my door. When I looked out I didn't see anyone so I opened my door and found this," I said, pointing to the smelly mess on my door.

"Have you had any threats recently? Any stalkers or psychos after you right now?" Eddie was well acquainted with my ability to attract unwanted attention.

"No, it's actually been pretty quiet around here lately. The only one who has threatened me recently is Joe, and I don't believe he would be physically capable of pulling this off. At least not tonight."

Eddie wrote up the report and took some pictures of the damage. I told him I'd speak with my neighbors in the morning and let him know if I found out anything. My building is full of seniors who make numerous trips to the bathroom throughout the night. I was hoping someone had seen or heard something that would help me figure out who would do something like this.

At this point there was nothing more for Eddie to do, so he gave me a quick hug and told me to call him if anything else happened. I got a bucket of hot soapy water and a couple of plastic bags to put over my hands and started scrubbing the door. I didn't want my neighbors to wake up to the smell of dog doo wafting through the hallways. I gagged and retched my way through the process, but half an hour and three buckets of water later all that was left was the paint. I'd have to pick up another six-pack and ask Dillon to repaint my door.

_Capisce? (Ital.) = Understand?_


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer:** Anything recognizable belongs to JE.

**A/N:** Thank you all for the positive feedback. I absolutely love reading your reviews and I appreciate all of you.

**Chapter 14**

True to his word, Dillon showed up at 8:30 with a new lock set for my door. When I answered his knock he nodded towards the red paint and said he still had some paint left over from the last time he repaired my door, so he'd be back up later to paint.

I was running late after my busy night, so I left Dillon to his work, grabbed a cup of coffee to go and headed to the bonds office. Dillon hand given me my new keys as I left and I was feeling much better knowing that Joe wouldn't be able to let himself in whenever he chose. I was hoping someone had picked up doughnuts on the way to the office since I hadn't had breakfast and was too broke to stop and buy my own. I still had Leonard Forsky, a.k.a. Metamucil man, to pick up, but I needed some larger bond FTA's if I had any chance of paying my rent on time and being able to eat.

Lula wasn't in the office yet when I rolled in, but Connie was and she had brought doughnuts. My day was already looking up. I grabbed a doughnut and a fresh cup of coffee and asked if there were any new files for me.

"I've got a felony DUI and a couple of first timers. The first timers aren't worth a whole lot, but the DUI is a $70,000 bond."

That certainly got my attention. If I brought this guy in, I could pay my rent for a couple of months and pay off my credit card. RangeMan used to get the higher bonds, but once his security business took off, Ranger pretty much stopped doing skip tracing and didn't do anything less than $100,000. A high bond generally means a more difficult take down, either because the skip is dangerous or is looking at serious prison time. If they've missed their court date, they generally are not motivated to be escorted in to reschedule. Ranger had been known to help me out, or send one of the Merry Men to help, when I had a high risk take down, but he was in Miami and I didn't want to call Tank. I would have to figure out how Lula and I could take this guy down.

I took my coffee and sat down on the couch to go through the file. Steve Williams was a 57 year old drunk who had lost his license several years ago and never bothered to stop driving. After his fifth drunk driving arrest, the DA's office had charged him with felony DUI. He was lucky he had never killed anyone. Chances were good the guy was either too drunk to remember to show up in court or just didn't bother.

The great thing about drunks is they aren't clever or original. Most hang out at their neighborhood bar getting pickled each night before stumbling home, sleeping it off and repeating the process the next day. Williams listed an address not far from the Burg that I was vaguely familiar with. As I recalled, there were a couple of neighborhood pubs not far from that area. I could either try to catch Williams at home sleeping it off or pick him up from his barstool and pour him into my car. My preference would be to catch him at home. Although nothing in his file indicated he was violent, drunk skips tended to be unpredictable. Some were happy drunks but more were mean drunks. I'd had enough mean drunks to last me for a while.

Lula walked in just as I was finishing the file. I glanced up and smiled at the shocking pink hair that perfectly matched the spandex mini dress she was wearing. She went conservative today with thigh high boots that only had a 4 inch heel. On anyone else the outfit and hair would have looked ridiculous, but on Lula it worked.

"Girl, you look like something the cat dragged in. You've got bags big enough to hold my shoe collection under your eyes but no 'I got me some lovin' smile on your face. What's up with you?"

I ignored the smile comment and told them about the vandalism to my door and Dillon showing up early to change the lock.

"Humph! I'll bet it was the Italian jackass. That man obviously has trouble dealing with rejection. Of course, he probably isn't getting around too good right now with the busted nut." Lula said with an evil grin.

I stood up and grabbed a second doughnut and headed for the door. "I'm headed after Leonard Forsky. Do you want to ride shotgun?" I asked Lula.

"Who's Leonard Foreskin?" she asked.

"Leonard Forsky, not Foreskin. Metamucil man. I saw him last night at the funeral home but he slipped out when Grandma Bella and Grandma Mazur got into it. I never approached him so hopefully he doesn't know he's on my radar."

Connie smiled. "I heard you and Grandma Mazur made quite an impressive team. You are both legends now for standing up to those two women. Everyone else wishes they had the guts to do the same."

Lula humphed again. "Bout time somebody did. I like your granny. She's got a pair on her and don't take crap from nobody."

I agreed with Lula, Grandma Mazur was a scrapper. We loaded up in my car since it was hard to cram an old guy in the back of Lula's Firebird. Plus, I knew if I had my own car I wouldn't get stranded at the station by Lula. I know cops give her the runs, but I was getting tired of having to find a ride after she ditched me.

Leonard lived on the edge of the Burg, not far from my parent's house. I parked a couple of houses down and checked to make sure I had my cuffs and pepper spray as I got out. Lula was still in the passenger's seat digging around through her purse.

"What are you looking for?"

"My gun. I know it was here when I left the house this morning."

"You're not going to need your gun. This is a 79 year old man who stole Metamucil. Plus, we don't shoot the skips. Come on, let's go."

As we walked up to the door we could hear someone yelling from inside the house. It sounded like it was coming from the second floor but I could only make out one voice. I rang the doorbell and heard more yelling, but I couldn't make out what was being said. I rang the doorbell again and waited a few seconds and then tried the knob. The door was unlocked so I walked in and yelled, "Mr. Forsky? My name is Stephanie Plum and I'm coming in. Mr. Forsky? Are you okay?"

As we entered the front vestibule I saw an old man coming down the stairs wearing only a white button down shirt and striped boxer shorts with black dress socks.

"Mr. Forsky? I'm Stephanie Plum. I represent Vincent Plum Bail Bonds and you missed your court date. I'm here to help you get rescheduled back into the court system. Why don't you get some pants on before I escort you to the station."

He looked at me for a second and then his face lit up. "I know you! You were the one with Edna last night," he cackled gleefully. "My God, you girls put that old bat in her place. It's Bella Morelli's fault I got arrested, you know. That hag put the eye on me when I took the last chocolate chip cookie at the old Thomas Biscoe's viewing. I haven't been regular since. Do you know how cranky it makes a man when he can't enjoy his morning constitutional? I was hoping the Metamucil would end the curse. I wasn't trying to steal it, I just got excited and forgot to pay. I just wanted to be able to take a crap."

I left Leonard in the vestibule with Lula and ran up to find him some pants to put on before I took him in. When I got back, Lula was offering him some of her "time proven" nutritional advice.

"The secret to regularity is to keep your insides slicked up with grease. That way, everything just flows right through. I prefer to maintain my digestive health at Cluck-In-A-Bucket. The trick is to order their extra crispy recipe. The batter holds in more grease than their regular recipe, so it's more digestive friendly."

I seriously doubted there were many health benefits to lubing your colon with chicken grease, but I suppose it made as much sense as any of Lula's other dietary and nutritional strategies. I still couldn't eat a BLT without thinking of Lula and her purse full of bacon being chased down the street by a pack of dogs.

We got Leonard dressed and in my car. Lula insisted we stop for a bucket of extra crispy so Leonard could start enjoying the benefits of a greasy colon immediately. Once fed, I dropped Lula off at the office and asked her to have Connie come over and rebond Leonard as soon as she could. I headed over to the station with Leonard where I picked up my body receipt from the desk sergeant.

As I was making my way back out of the station I heard someone call my name. I turned to see Robin Russell walking towards me. Robin was a couple years behind me in school and had surprised everyone when she applied to the police academy. She was a Burg girl, and police woman was not in the approved list of proper Burg girl occupations. She and I had a lot in common and I had a lot of respect for her.

"Hey, Steph. Got a minute?" she asked. I nodded and she led me toward an empty conference room down the hall.

Robin didn't waste any time with niceties. "I heard Morelli smacked you around some, but that you didn't want to file charges. Is that right?"

I nodded again. "I just don't feel right filing charges. We're done and it's not like it is going to happen again. It just feels wrong to make a big deal out of it."

Robin shook her head and replied, "It's not wrong to hold him accountable for what he did to you. What about his next girlfriend? He got away with it this time. What is his incentive not to do it again? You know how these things can escalate. And statistics show that cops have a higher likelihood of battering. When you look at where he came from, it was almost inevitable."

When I continued to shake my head Robin sighed. "How about this. You let me take some pictures of the bruising. That way, if you change your mind in a few days or something else happens we have at least documented this assault. Will you let me take photos?"

I was still reluctant, but I didn't see how it would hurt to document my injuries, so I let Robin take pictures of the bruises on my face, arms and wrists. When she asked if there were any other marks, I couldn't meet her eyes as I pulled my shirt down so she could photograph the bite mark on the top of my breast. When she was done taking pictures we stepped back into the hallway. Robin gave my arm a quick squeeze and told me to give her a call if I changed my mind about pressing charges. I nodded then turned and made my way out of the station and back to my car.

As I walked up to my car, I realized someone had keyed the entire length of the driver's side. It wasn't that my car was in great shape or anything, but it was rude of someone to gouge the paint. This harassment was getting old quick.

I pulled out my cell and called Eddie to let him know. I knew the police department had some cameras up around the parking areas and Eddie said he'd have someone take a look at the tapes when they got a chance. I didn't think anything would come of it. Even if someone did have time to check the tapes, it was unlikely they would be able to see anything more than someone walking past my car. I already had a pretty good idea it had something to do with Joe, but it made me sad to think that after all we had been through together, this is how it ended up.

When I got back to the office to drop off my body receipt Lula was sitting on the couch thumbing through a gossip magazine. Connie wasn't back from rebonding Leonard yet, so I sat down at her computer to start doing some search work on Williams. My rent was due next week so I needed to get him picked up soon.


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer:** Anything recognizable belongs to JE.

**A/N: **Please review, I love hearing your thoughts, ideas and suggestions. Your words inspire me and your encouragement is amazing. Thank you all for your support!

**Chapter 15**

I spent the rest of my day trying to get a feel for Williams's routine. Connie's search programs didn't turn up a lot of useful information. I learned he lived with his elderly mother but I couldn't find a recent work record. He had been hurt on the job about ten years ago and had received a worker's compensation settlement, but there was no work record after that. He collected a small disability payment but not enough to live on.

I looked to see who had secured his bond and wasn't surprised to see his mother had used her house as collateral for his bond. It looked like his mother lived on social security and her late husband's military pension. Knowing she stood to lose her home might make his mother more cooperative. Since Williams didn't have a place of employment to stake out, I decided my best bet was to start at his mother's house.

Since it was already late afternoon, I decided to call it a day. Williams would probably be on his favorite bar stool be now and I wanted to try to pick him up at home. Besides, I hadn't gotten much sleep the night before and I was tired. Lula had left while I was working on the searches and it was after quitting time, so locked up and headed out the back door to where I had parked behind the bonds office. I didn't see anyone lurking in the alley so I made a quick dash from the door to my car. As I unlocked the door, I realized it had been stupid to park out back where anyone could have been waiting. I unlocked the door and got in, but when I turned the key, my car wouldn't start. Normally this is not unusual for one of my cars, but this one was in a little better condition than most of the others, and I hadn't had engine problems before.

I tried it again. The engine was turning over so I knew it wasn't the battery, it just wouldn't start. I let out a sigh and pulled out my phone to call my dad for a ride home. While I was waiting for my dad, I called the only mechanic I had in my phone contacts. Al was Ranger's mechanic and body shop guy. I met Al when I first started working for Vinnie. Ranger had introduced us when I needed an alarm to warn me if someone tried stealing the truck I was driving. Or rather, I should say, steal back the truck I was driving. I had confiscated the truck from my first FTA, Joe Morelli, to use as bait.

Thinking about Joe and when he was FTA put a sad little smile on my face. As I remembered how I tried to trap him with his truck, I thought about how I had removed his distributor cap so he wouldn't be able to steal his truck back. I shook my head. No, that would just be crazy. But I had to check, so I got out and popped the hood. That son of a bitch! I pulled my phone back out and called Al to tell him never mind. Then I called my dad and asked him to stop at the auto parts store and pick up a new distributor cap for my car. Now I knew who was harassing me, although I couldn't prove anything.

I was guessing he had put his cousin Mooch up to it, since Joe was still recovering from his "fall" and Mooch was always up for whatever juvenile stunt Joe had in mind. I was getting ready to call Eddie to tell him about the missing distributor cap when my dad drove up.

"Thanks, Dad." I said as he got out of his cab with the distributor cap in hand. He got it hooked up and my car started on the first try.

"What's going on, Steph?" I was surprised by the question. My father's comments were generally limited to calling my grandmother a crazy old bat and wanting the gravy to be passed. Usually, the less he knew about what was going on, the better he liked it.

I gave him a highly edited version of my break up with Joe and the harassment over the last couple of days. The bruises were still obvious on my face and wrists and my dad seemed to be filling in the blanks on what I left out of the story.

"I've listened to your grandmother nagging your mother all day about something Helen said to you. Was it about this?"

I shrugged, not really knowing what to say. Dad just nodded and asked if I needed anything else. I told him no and thanked him for helping me out. We both got in our cars and headed on our way. My family doesn't do great displays of emotion, but it felt like Dad and I had bonded for a moment over a distributor cap.

When I got home I called Eddie and told him about my car trouble and what I suspected. Eddie said he'd stop by and talk to Mooch. Neither one of us thought it would do much good, but I was hoping it would be enough to stop the harassment.

I made myself a peanut butter and olive sandwich and ate it standing over the sink. I dropped a couple of raisins and a green bean in Rex's tank and told him about my day. I told him what I suspected about the harassment and asked him for his opinion. I took the twitch of his whiskers as an indication that he agreed with me. It's good to have someone I can bounce ideas off of.

I flopped on the couch and tried to settle in for a quiet evening, but I couldn't seem to settle in. I was thinking about the harassment. The more I thought about the vandalism to my door, the damage to my paint job and the distributor cap, the madder I got. I worked myself into a state of righteous indignation so I grabbed my bag and headed back down to my car.

As I pulled up in front of Joe's house I scanned the street for Mooch or Joe's brother Tony's car. I didn't recognize any of the cars parked on the street and saw only Joe's vehicle was in the driveway. I didn't think his mom or grandmother would be visiting this late, so I got out of my car and headed towards his door. I wanted to confront Joe about the harassment but I didn't want to end up in a brawl with the entire Morelli clan. As I climbed the steps to the front porch I wondered if I should have called Eddie to let him know what I was doing. Deciding it was a little late for that, I raised my hand to knock on the door. He must have seen me walking up the path, because the door swung open before I could knock.

"Missing me so soon, Cupcake? Or did you come to apologize for siccing your trained thug on me?" he asked with a sneer.

I felt a flash of fear run through me as I realized how stupid I was to go see Joe by myself. I hoped that if I stayed out on the porch I would be safe from another violent outburst. Now I wasn't so sure having the neighbors glued to their windows waiting to see what would happen was really going to help much. After a quick look, I realized Joe wasn't in any condition to attack me tonight. His left arm was in a sling and he had several bandages around his naked chest supporting his ribs. Judging by the way he was standing, I would say his "boys" were still in quite a bit of pain as well.

"I'm here to tell you to call off your idiot cousin. And no, I don't miss you and Ranger does what he chooses. I never asked him to pay you a visit. I don't think you're worth effort."

"You're full of shit, Steph. You're here, aren't you? You two have your 'damsel in distress' and 'superhero' roles down pat. I'm not going to wait forever for you to realize where you belong, Cupcake. And I'm not taking Manoso's sloppy seconds when he gets tired of the way you show your appreciation every time he comes running to save your sweet ass. You better get your head out of the sand and realize the best thing that will ever happen to you is standing in front of you right now."

"You know what, Joe? You're delusional if you think I'm ever coming back to you. I just came over to tell you to call off your cousin. Tell him to leave me the hell alone and just go on with your life. I'm sure the girls are beating a path to your door to take care of you and your 'boys'. Try to stay sober and don't smack them around, okay?" With that I turned and headed back down the walk to my car.

Joe yelled at my retreating back, "You'll be back, Cupcake. I know you will. Everyone knows we were meant to be. You belong to me, Stephanie!"

Deciding I had given the Burg enough gossip for the night, I got in my car and went home. I didn't know if telling Morelli to call Mooch off would do any good, but at least I felt like I had done something to try to end the harassment. I parked in my usual spot by the dumpster and made it to my apartment without incident. I made sure the door was locked and the chain was on before heading to the bedroom. On my way, I noticed the light blinking on my answering machine. I hadn't heard from my mother since I walked out on lunch but I was guessing the message was from her. Her phone probably started ringing as soon as my foot hit the walk in front of Joe's house.

Taking the coward's way out, I left the light blinking and continued to my bedroom. After my disturbing visit with Joe, I hoped a hot shower would help me relax enough to sleep. As I stood under the hot spray I felt the tears start to fall. The realization that the Joe Morelli I had known since childhood had finally evolved into his father made me incredibly sad. Our on-again, off-again relationship was unorthodox, but I had loved him. We had been through a lot together, some good and some bad, but we had a history. I mourned for the love that was now dead. I hoped that eventually we could be friends, but I wasn't sure if that was even possible now.

The hot water ran out at about the same time as my tears. I turned off the shower and toweled off before slipping on another one of Ranger's pilfered t-shirts. It was still early when I crawled into bed, but I was exhausted from my lack of sleep the night before and my emotionally draining day.

I laid in the dark and wondered what Ranger was doing. I hadn't heard from him since he walked out of my apartment the morning after Joe attacked me. Of course, I never hear from him when he is in the wind, so that much hadn't changed. What was different was that this time he had told me where he was going. It gave me the same kind of warm fuzzy feeling I got back when he first started telling me when he was leaving, rather than just disappearing for weeks or months at a time. I didn't know what it meant, but something felt different after Miami.

I hadn't spent much time thinking about everything he said before he left because I was afraid to read too much into it. As I replayed his words over and over in my mind now, I wondered if I dared to hope that Ranger may be ready to consider a relationship beyond that of a friendship with enough sexual attraction to light up New York City. He may have explained what he meant by "in his own way" but that didn't mean he had changed his mind about his life not lending itself to a relationship or not doing something stupid like pregnancy or marriage. On the other hand, he had told me he had considered sharing closet space with me. Plus, I really wasn't sure if I ever wanted to get married again or have the 2.5 children as prescribed by the Burg standard of womanhood. I fell asleep thinking how good my shoes would look piled up in Ranger's closet.


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer:** Anything recognizable belongs to JE

**A/N:** Thank you to all who have left reviews on the previous chapters. I'd really love to hear what you think!

Spoilers possible for any book through 24.

**Chapter 16**

When I woke up, I realized the sun was up and I had managed to sleep through the night without any unwanted disturbances. Maybe confronting Joe about the harassment had helped. And maybe pigs would learn to fly. Denial seemed the way to go, so I chose to believe the harassment would stop and started getting ready for what I hoped would be a productive day. Hopefully, one that would involve capturing Williams and padding my bank account.

I took a quick shower and did the minimal hair and make-up thing. Jeans and a girlie t-shirt completed my look for the day so I made my way to the kitchen for coffee and a toaster pastry. I decided to suck it up and get it over with and hit play on my answering machine.

"Stephanie? This is your mother." No kidding, Mom. "What are you doing causing a scene on Joseph's front porch? Mrs. Doneto called to say you and Joseph were yelling so loudly, she could hear you three houses down. I hope you were there to apologize to him. Wait, your father is saying something, hold on…." I could hear my father in the background. He told my mother to hang up the phone and said they needed to have a talk.

"I'll call back later, Stephanie. Your father is acting strangely and says he needs to speak with me about something." And with that, she hung up. I was dumbstruck. What the hell had gotten into my father? First he had asked me what was going on and now, well, I had never in my entire life heard him interrupt my mother on the telephone. Mooner would probably say he had been taken over by an alien. I'm not sure I would agree, but he was definitely acting strangely.

Rex peeked his head out of his soup can when I dropped a corner of my pastry in his food dish. I tapped the glass and said good morning as I finished my breakfast. I grabbed my cell phone and checked to make sure my stun gun was charged before dropping it in my bag with my pepper spray and cuffs. I would add them to my utility belt when I was ready to do the take down. I'd learned it was easier to have everything within reach on the belt rather than digging through my bag to find what I needed.

Reaching into my cookie jar, I grabbed my .38 special and made sure it was loaded. Joe's dig about my damsel in distress role had gotten under my skin. Sure, things exploded around me and I was occasionally kidnapped. And yes, I was tossed off a bridge and locked in a cold storage drawer in a funeral home, but I didn't go looking for trouble. Trouble just had a way of finding me. I decided I was going to be ready for it if it came looking for me today.

Lula was meeting me at the office and we were going after Williams. I had decided to start at his mother's house and hope to catch him sleeping off last night's bender. I was digging through my bag looking for my car keys when my cell phone rang. It wasn't my mother's ringtone so I figured it was Lula or Connie calling to see if I was bringing doughnuts.

"Hello." I answered distractedly.

"Hey sweet piece. I hear you like it rough when you're gettin' freaky. Let's get together. I can't wait to get my hands around your throat and show you what it's like to be with a real man." The voice was low and guttural and he was breathing heavily. I didn't want to think about what he was doing with the hand that wasn't holding the phone.

"Is this some kind of sick joke?" I asked, belatedly looked at the caller ID. The display showed this was coming from a blocked number.

I disconnected and dropped my phone back into my bag. My cell number was on my business cards and prank calls were not unheard of, but this guy gave me the heebie jeebies. The voice was not one I recognized so I wasn't sure if this was connected to the rest of the harassment. If the calls continued I would talk to Eddie about it, but I didn't think one prank call was cause for alarm. For now, I was going to continue with my day and focus on bringing in Williams.

It didn't look like any more damage had been done to my car overnight and it started on the first try so my day was looking up. When I pulled up in front of the bonds office I saw a black SUV parked a couple of spots down. I could see Tank in talking to Connie while Lula ignored him from the couch. Lula still hadn't forgiven Tank for choosing his cats over her, but I was pretty sure she still had feelings for the man. Tank turned as I walked in and asked to speak to me outside.

My first thought was that something had happened to Ranger but Tank immediately said, "Ranger's fine. The power struggle left by Raul's disappearance has created security issues with some of RangeMan's clients. He'll be down there a little while longer, but these situations usually sort themselves out viciously and quickly."

"I needed to let you know that Silvo got a ping for your name on the dark web. Seems someone had posted pictures of your bruised face and wrists on a fetish site looking for violent hook-ups. Your cell number was posted as well. He's scrubbed your information from the site but we have no way of knowing how many people may have already gotten your information. We know the post was done from a public computer at the Trenton library and the guys are going through surveillance videos from the library and surrounding businesses to try to determine who is responsible."

I felt my breakfast threatening to return and had to swallow hard a couple of times to keep from throwing up on the street. So much for my morning looking up. I told Tank about the call I had received from the blocked number and what the caller had said. Tank told me he would let Silvo know and see if there was anything they could do. As he left, Tank reminded me to give him a call if I needed anything while Ranger was out of town. We both knew I wouldn't, but at least he could say he had tried.

I suspected Joe had something to do with the internet posting since the only pictures that were taken were in the Trenton PD database. I was hoping they would be able to identify Joe or Mooch at the library at the time the photos were posted. It was only circumstantial and would never stand up in court, but at least I would know who was responsible.

I headed into the office to see if Lula was ready to ride. I had finally reached my breaking point. I was fed up with the abuse and harassment, and now I was just plain mad. I couldn't do anything about Joe right now, but Steve Williams was never going to know what hit him. Lula took one look at my face and started to grin.

"Girl, you got a look on you that says today is going to be a 'kick ass and take names' kinda day. I don't know who peed in your corn flakes, but I think Williams is about to have a really bad day."

Lula and I aren't the best bounty hunters, but we can talk a good game. We loaded up in Lula's Firebird and cranked the music. The bass was loud enough to throw a normal person's heart into an arrhythmia, but we were on a mission.

We parked two houses down on the opposite side of the street from Williams's mother's house. The neighborhood was in a working class area where most people worked and there were few stay at home mom's like in the Burg. Kids were at school or in daycare and the street was quiet. We got out of the car and I strapped on my utility belt. It made me feel kind of badass when I loaded up my stun gun, pepper spray and cuffs. My .38 was left in my bag for now. I didn't want to go in guns blazing - I wasn't that badass yet.

We walked past the house and around the corner. The house was detached with a small, fenced in backyard that butted up against the yard of the house behind it. If Williams slipped out through the back door he would have to jump the fence to get away.

Lula and I walked back around to the front of the house and up onto the porch. We both stood to the side of the door as I knocked. It only takes one or two shotgun blasts before you realize standing in front of an unopened door is a really bad idea. The door was opened by an older lady. She was tiny, maybe 5 feet tall and 90 pounds soaking wet, and dressed in an old fashioned housecoat with white orthopedic shoes.

"Mrs. Williams? I'm Stephanie Plum. I represent Vincent Plum Bail Bonds. Steve missed his court date and I am here to help him get rescheduled."

Mrs. Williams smiled vacantly at me and said, "That's really nice of you, dear. Are you a friend of Stevie's?"

I smiled back and replied that I was indeed a friend of Stevie's, and that was why I was there to help. Mrs. Williams stepped back and held the door open a little wider. "Stevie is such a good boy. He has suffered so since he was hurt at work. And you say you're a friend? Well you certainly are a pretty girl. Are you his girlfriend?"

"No ma'am. We're just friends. Is Stevie home?" I continued to smile like an idiot, hoping I didn't look like some crazed lunatic. Although honestly, I'm not sure she would have recognized the difference.

Before she could reply, Lula stepped around the edge of the door and Mrs. Williams gasped. Lula did tend to have that effect on people. "We're both friends of Stevie. Now you want to show us where he is so we can do our helpful friend thing and then grab some lunch. A big, beautiful woman like me needs to keep her strength up with regular meals, you know."

Mrs. Williams just stood there gaping. I must say, Lula had outdone herself today. Her hair was dyed red and matched the sequined tank top that was doing its best to contain her double D chest. The black satin low-rise pants missed meeting her top by about two inches and gave us a flash of her jeweled belly button piercing. I really hoped we wouldn't have to chase Williams because I knew Lula would never keep up in the red platform short boots on her feet.

"Mrs. Williams? Is Stevie home?" I asked once again. Mrs. Williams just pointed silently up the stairs as she continued to stare at Lula. As we started up the stairs, I made sure my stun gun was on and my cuffs were ready. This was going to be our best shot at bringing Williams in, and I wanted to get it right. I glanced back at Mrs. Williams who was still standing at the bottom of the stairs staring up at us as we made our way across the landing. I wasn't sure how she was going to react when she saw her precious Stevie being led away in handcuffs but I'd worry about that once I had him.

There were four doors off the upstairs hallway. Two of the doors were open and I could see one was the bathroom and the other looked like an old lady's bedroom. I did a quick sweep of both rooms to make sure they were empty. I walked over to the nearest closed door and put my ear to it. I didn't hear anything, so I cautiously twisted the knob and peeked inside but the room was empty. It looked like a spare bedroom. We moved to the second closed door and I could hear snoring coming from inside. I motioned for Lula to keep quiet as I turned the knob and slowly pushed the door open.

Steve Williams was sprawled face down across the bed on top of the covers. He was still dressed in what was probably yesterday's clothes and he reeked of sweat, alcohol and urine. I motioned for Lula to stand up by his head with the stun gun ready and pulled my cuffs out of my belt. Having him passed out face down was helpful for cuffing him, but one arm was positioned up over his head while the other was down by his side.

I started with the arm by his side because it was closest to me, but as I tightened the bracelet he woke up and jerked his arm away from me. He swung his arm and the cuffs caught me in the cheek. The anger and frustration I had been holding in all morning was unleashed. I threw myself on top of him and pinned him face down on the bed. I drove my knee into the center of his back and quickly secured his arms behind his back. Lula was standing there holding the stun gun with a surprised look on her face.

"Damn girl, you looked like one of Ranger's guys. 'Cept without the bulging muscles and an ass I could sink my teeth into," she said with a wicked grin.

I smiled at the thought and Lula and I each grabbed an arm and hauled Williams off the bed. The man was a disgusting. His clothes smelled of old sweat and he had wet himself at some point during the night. The front of his pants were still damp and the bed clothes were soiled.

"What the fuck are you doing in my room?" He was struggling, trying to pull away from us as we each held an arm.

"Bond enforcement. You missed your court date and we're taking you down to reschedule."

"I'm not going to court. They'll toss my ass in jail and throw away the key. The bastards will put me through detox. I don't want to go to detox, that's why I didn't show up for my court date." He was almost whining as he said this, but I was having a hard time working up any sympathy for the man. He could have killed someone driving drunk and he obviously wasn't going to stop until someone made him.

Lula looked down at his pants and said, "I'm not putting this piece of filth in my baby. I'll never get the smell out."

"We're going to have to put him in your car and take him to the station. I'll put something down on the seat and pay to have your car detailed. Let's just get him out of here first."

I looked around the room and found a windbreaker I could hang over his shoulders to hide the handcuffs. With one of us on each side, we walked him down the stairs to where his mother was still standing with an uncertain smile on her face.

"Ma, don't let them take me. They're going to take me to jail and I won't be able to take care of you." His whining was really getting on my nerves. I seriously doubted he did much to take care of his mother, but I didn't think it was wise to mention that as we were trying to get him out the door.

"Mrs. Williams, we are helping Stevie. We're his friends, remember?" We continued to walk him out the door and down the porch toward the Firebird. Mrs. Williams looked as if she wasn't sure whether we were helping her son or not, but she wasn't making a fuss and I wanted to get him out of there before she got upset.

When we got to the station, Lula helped me haul him out of the backseat. Eddie was on his way in, so he offered to help me get Williams inside. I noticed Connie's car, so I told Lula I would catch a ride back to the office with Connie. It was better than leaving Lula outside to wait and hoping she'd still be there when I came back out. I picked up my body receipt and asked Eddie if he had a minute. I filled him in on the internet posting and the phone call I had received.

While I was standing there, I did a quick check of my phone. I had three voicemails from unknown or blocked numbers. We listened to the voicemails together and all were along the same vein as the one this morning. I wasn't one to judge, but how people found sexual satisfaction in hurting others or being hurt was beyond me. Unfortunately, between consenting adults it was perfectly legal so there wasn't much Eddie could do. I forwarded the voicemails to him to include in my harassment file. It would help build my case if and when we could prove who had posted my contact information on the site.

Connie and I headed back to the bonds office where she wrote me a check for the Williams apprehension. It felt good to know I had my rent covered for a couple of months and would be able to pay my bills. I decided to take the rest of the day off and pamper myself a little. First stop was going to be a long hot shower with the shower gel I had pilfered from Ranger's shower at some point. I wanted to get the stench of Williams off me and I couldn't think of a better way than with Bulgari green.


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: **Everything recognizable belongs to JE

**A/N: **Thank you to all who chose to leave reviews. I love hearing your thoughts and ideas. You all are the ones who make this so much fun!

**Chapter 17**

My first stop was actually the bank to deposit my check for the Williams capture. My second stop was the grocery store to pick up a few things so I actually had food in my apartment. I only grabbed the essentials like a family size frozen macaroni and cheese, ice cream, beer, peanut butter, worthless white bread and coffee. As I headed for the checkout, I realized I didn't have anything from the fruits and veggies food group, so I grabbed a box of strawberry PopTarts.

I pulled into the parking lot and was amazed to find parking that wasn't beside the dumpster. It really was turning out to be a pretty good day. I had money, food and now parking karma. I slung my messenger bag over my shoulder and buckled on my utility belt so I had enough hands to carry my groceries and still be able to get my door unlocked. I chatted with Mrs. Bestler on the ride up to the second floor and wished her a good afternoon as I stepped out of the elevator.

My door was closed, locked and not vandalized. Another plus for the day. I walked into my apartment and kicked the door shut behind me. I had taken only a few steps toward the kitchen when an arm came around my neck and pulled me into a choke hold. I dropped my grocery bags and reached up for the arm that had me pinned back against my attacker.

"You stupid whore. What does he see in you anyway? I've never been able to understand why he would want a pathetic nothing like you when he could be with me," she whispered harshly in my ear.

"Once you're dead, he'll come running back to me like he always did when you two broke up. Did you like the fetish site? I thought about posting all of your contact information and letting the sick bastards do the rest, but I wanted the pleasure of beating you to death myself. The police will be looking for one of your hook-ups that took things a little too far."

I could feel the darkness closing in from the lack of oxygen. Using one hand to claw at her arm and hopefully distract her, I reached down to my utility belt with the other and flipped on my stun gun. I slid it out of the holster and slowly brought it up towards the arm across my throat. Before she realized what I was doing, I pushed the stun gun against her arm and pulled the trigger. The arm instantly loosened and I gasped for air as she slid to the ground behind me. Still gasping for breath, I grabbed my handcuffs and secured her arms behind her back.

Once I felt I could talk without sounding like an obscene phone caller, I pulled out my cell phone. I dialed police dispatch and asked if Eddie Gazarra was on duty. Fortunately, or unfortunately, all the dispatchers know me or know about me, and the dispatcher patched me through to Eddie immediately.

"Hey, Steph. You okay?" he asked as he came on the line.

"Hi Eddie. Yeah, I'm okay now, but can you come by my apartment? Robin Russell just tried to kill me and I've got her cuffed on my entryway floor."

Before long, my apartment was filled with people. Eddie had shown up first, followed by Carl Costanza and Big Dog. Tank walked in a few minutes later as Carl and Big Dog were escorting Robin out to the waiting cruiser. I went through everything with Eddie while Tank listened in. I could tell Tank wasn't happy that I hadn't let him know everything that had been going on. How could I explain that I hated being the entertainment line item of the RangeMan budget? Or how much I hated the way Ranger bled money when I needed protection? Besides, I had kept Eddie informed and had taken care of myself, so there really wasn't much Tank could say.

Eddie finished taking my statement and I told him I'd come down to the station tomorrow to sign it. Tank followed Eddie out and I locked and chained the door behind them. I stood there a moment enjoying the silence before suddenly remembering my groceries. Someone had picked them up out of the entryway and must have taken them to the kitchen. I walked in expecting to see melted ice cream running across the counter and floor, but was happy to find the ice cream and mac and cheese already in the freezer. I put the rest of my groceries away and finally headed to the shower I needed several hours ago.

I stayed in the shower until the hot water was gone and the scent of Bulgari filled the air. When I finished toweling off, I slipped into a pair of comfy sweats and a RangeMan sweatshirt one of the guys had let me borrow after a distraction job and that I had never got around to returning. Next up was dinner. I put the frozen mac and cheese in the oven to warm and cracked a beer. As I stood at the counter sipping my beer and waiting for my dinner to heat, I glanced at my cell phone and saw I had a text message from Ranger.

_Ranger: You okay, Babe?_

I smiled because that was always the first thing he asked after one of my disasters.

_Me: Yeah, I'm good. Thanks._

_Ranger: Yes you are. Proud of you, Babe._

I sent him a kissy face emoji and chuckled, knowing I was probably the only person who would dare send Batman a kissy face. Grabbing my dinner and my beer, I popped 'Lara Croft, Tomb Raider' into the DVD player and settled on the sofa for a quiet evening at home. I liked to think that someday I could be as good as Lara, but I'm pretty sure I would have to start at least running to get there. As soon as that thought crossed my mind, I had another thought. My utility belt was not as well equipped as Lara's, but having it on had saved my ass today. Maybe starting to run and getting some more training wasn't such a bad idea. Something to think about.

Later that evening when I crawled into bed, I made sure I had my cell phone and my loaded .38 on my nightstand. After the run in with Robin, I wanted to be prepared if anyone else decided to break in to my apartment. As I drifted off to sleep, my last thoughts were of Ranger and his text messages. For the first time in a long time, I was proud of me, too.

The next morning Eddie called and asked me to meet him at Pino's for lunch. He told me he would bring the statement for me to sign so I didn't have to make an extra trip to the station. We agreed to meet when he got off shift at noontime.

I wasn't ready to deal with all the questions that I knew were coming, so I spent the morning cleaning my apartment. I cleaned Rex's tank out and gave him fresh wood shavings and a new soup can. I stripped my bed and put on fresh linens then scrubbed the bathroom until it sparkled. Well as much as my ugly, dated bathroom can sparkle anyway. Once that was done, I took a quick shower and got ready to meet Eddie.

Eddie was sitting at a corner table when I walked in. As I approached the table, he stood up and gave me a quick hug.

"How you doing, Steph? I ordered a pizza. Hope that's okay."

"Yeah, that's fine, thanks. I'm doing okay. I'll be doing better if you tell me Robin was responsible for all of the harassment, though."

He gave a nod and said, "She's admitted to everything. The vandalized door, keying your car, the distributor cap and the internet posting. RangeMan forwarded surveillance tapes showing her entering the library just prior to the timestamp on the photo uploads and then leaving soon after. We also have her on video walking past your car right after you arrived at the station. Not that either is conclusive, but with her confession, the DA has a really strong case against her."

"Did she tell you why she did it? From what she said, I gather she and Joe had their own on-again off-again relationship." I had always suspected he had been seeing someone during our 'off' times, but I had assumed it was Terry Gilman.

"According to Robin, she and Joe started hooking up while he was still in Vice. When he was accused of killing Ziggy and went FTA, she was in contact with him and feeding him inside information on the TPD investigation. That's how she knew about the distributor cap you removed from Joe's truck when you were hunting him. From what she said, it sounded like it was just a casual hook-up thing at the beginning, but she started wanting more. When you and Joe got together, Robin got tossed aside."

"She was always waiting in the wings when you two broke up. Apparently, when you left with Ranger she thought she was finally going to have a shot with Joe. She slept with him while you were in Miami, and then went to see him again the night he got home from the hospital. She said he told her that you would be back and that you two were getting back together. That's when she snapped and the harassment started. When she saw you at the station, she got the idea about posting the pictures on the fetish site and then making it look like a BDSM thing that went too far. In her mind, if you were gone, Joe would want to be with her."

I sat there processing everything Eddie had told me. I saddened me that someone I thought I knew would do something like this. The waitress brought us our pizza but I really didn't have much of an appetite anymore. I signed the typed up police report Eddie had brought with him and thanked him for the information on Robin. I grabbed my things and headed over to the bonds office to see if Connie had any new files for me.

The rest of the afternoon was relatively quiet. I had a couple of first time skips to pick up and both came without much hassle. Nothing exploded and I didn't roll in garbage once. I had a couple more phone calls from blocked numbers, but I let them go to voicemail and then I forwarded them to Eddie without listening.

Grandma Mazur called and asked me if I could give her a ride to the funeral home that evening. I declined her invitation to come for dinner but told her I would pick her up in front of the house at 6:30. I wasn't ready to deal with my mother just yet and avoidance seemed to be the best course of action for now.

I pulled up to the curb in front of my parent's house at 6:30 on the dot. I was surprised to see my dad on the porch instead of my grandmother. I got out and walked around the car as he came down the walk.

"Hi Dad. Everything alright?" I was a little worried that something had happened. My father rarely left his recliner in the evening.

"Everything is fine. I just wanted to have a word with you before your grandmother came out. Your mother and I had a talk about her constant nagging at you about Morelli. I told her any man who treated one of our daughters the way that man treated you is no longer welcome in our home."

To say I was stunned would be an understatement. My dad's role had always been that of provider. He did his duty by supporting his family, but my mother was the one who ran the household. I couldn't ever recall a time when he so much as questioned my mother, never mind put his foot down about something.

"I also told her that now that you and Morelli were through, she better not try to fix you up with every unmarried man she meets. You would think after trying to set you up with a serial killer she would have learned her lesson. Anyway, I just wanted you to know that it's safe to come to dinner again."

I smiled and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks, Dad. I appreciate the support."

I heard the front door open and turned to see my grandmother making her way down the porch in a lime green dress, faux pearls and sneakers. Hot pink lipstick, lime green eyeshadow and clip-on faux pearl earrings completed her look for the evening.

"Let's get this show on the road. Rumor has it Angie Morelli is still in hiding after Joe's disgrace but I want to be there to defend your reputation in case the witch of a grandmother tries to start anything."

I opened the passenger side door and helped my grandmother get settled. Before I could walk around to the driver's side, my mother called out from the porch. She was holding what looked like a bag of leftovers.

"Stephanie, I packed you some meatloaf and mashed potatoes. There's also a piece of chocolate cake. I didn't know if you would have a chance to get dinner tonight."

My family doesn't do great displays of affection. Nor, do we say "I'm sorry." The food was a peace offering and the closest I was ever going to get to an apology from my mother. I hesitated for only a second before I walked up to the porch and took the bag from my mother.

"Thanks, Mom." Apology accepted. We may not always, or ever, see eye to eye, but she was still my mom.

**A/N part two:** Originally Mooch was going to be responsible for the harassment, as most of you guessed in the reviews.

Shout out to baileygirl12 for mentioning Robin. Your comment in the review gave me the idea for that little plot twist!


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: **Anything recognizable belongs to JE.

**A/N: **Smut warning for the end of the chapter. Thank you all who take the time to review. I love hearing what you think.

Originally, I had thought the story would be about 15 chapters long, but the story just keeps writing itself longer. Please let me know if you feel like it's meandering or if the plot remains solid.

**Chapter 18**

I got in and set the bag of leftovers on the back seat. As we pulled away from the curb I asked Grandma if she knew what had happened with my parents.

"I've got to admit, old Frankie boy surprised me," she said with a chuckle. "She was leaving you a message and he told her to hang up the phone so he could talk to her. Your mother was stunned that your father would interrupt her while she was on the phone."

"He asked her what it was about Joseph Morelli that had her so in love with the idea of you marrying him. She told him it was because Joe was Burg and your best chance of being a Burg wife. It got kind of ugly after that with your father arguing that you were never meant to be a Burg wife, that you needed more from life, and your mother saying that of course you should be a wife and mother like Valerie."

"Suddenly, your father asked your mother if she ever regretted, even one little bit, not going to nursing school. I don't think your mother realized your father even knew of her wanting to become a nurse at one point in her life. Then he said if Helen managed to brow beat you into the life of a Burg wife and mother, you would regret it and end up resenting your mother for all of the pressure she put on you. And if she somehow managed to convince you to take Joe back, then Helen had to live with the knowledge that her daughter and any future grandchildren would end up victims of another drunk abusive Morelli because of her. Finally, he asked her if that was the life she wanted for you and your children."

Wow! Who would have thought Frank Plum had it in him. I felt my eyes start to tear up thinking about how my dad had stood up to my mom for me. We were arriving at the funeral home as Grandma finished her story, so I double parked and let Grandma Mazur off in front before I went to find parking. The parking gods seemed to be smiling on me and I found a spot only one block away. I made my way back towards the funeral home and hoped Grandma hadn't already run into Bella Morelli. I didn't hear any shouting or shooting as I walked through the door, so I made my way into the viewing room to look for Grandma. I saw her seated in the second row with her friends so I found a spot against the wall where I could just stand back and keep an eye on things.

While I was standing there, I checked my phone and was relieved to see I didn't have any more creep messages. I had a text message from my best friend Mary Lou telling me to call her when I had a minute. Mary Lou and I had been best friends since kindergarten but our adult lives had taken very different directions. Mary Lou was the classic Burg wife, married to her high school sweetheart and now with a couple of kids and a minivan. She was also my best source of Burg gossip.

I texted her back that I was with Grandma and asked if she would be home in the morning. I could grab some doughnuts and head over for coffee after the kids went to school so we could have an old-fashioned gabfest. It had been ages since we had been able to do that, and I was looking forward to seeing her.

The viewing turned out to be blissfully uneventful. The casket was open and the cookies were plentiful, so Grandma behaved herself. There was still no sign of Bella Morelli as we made our way out the front door so I left Grandma Mazur at the curb while I went to get the car. Amazingly, she was still standing on the curb where I left her when I got back with the car. I loaded her up and headed back to my parents' house to drop her off.

I turned into the parking lot at my apartment and saw that I had used up my quota of good parking karma, so I pulled into my usual spot beside the dumpster. Grabbing my leftovers, I glanced up at my living room window and was surprised to see the light on. I was sure I had turned all the lights off before I went to pick up Grandma, which probably meant I had company. Generally, those who want to cause me pain and suffering rarely announce their presence by turning on the lights, so I made my way up to the second floor with only the slightest amount of trepidation. As I approached the door, I felt a familiar tingle on the back of my neck and knew immediately who my visitor was.

"Yo." I called out as I entered my apartment. I didn't think I would be able to sneak up on Ranger, but I didn't want him to shoot first and ask questions later.

"Babe." he said with an almost smile. He was looking pretty relaxed in my overstuffed chair with his legs stretched out in front of him and his hands crossed across his amazing eight pack. He was dressed in his standard uniform of painted on black t-shirt and cargoes, but he had removed his boots and his legs were crossed at the ankles. He looked very much at home and I had a major hot flash at the thought of what it would be like to come home to this every day.

Rather than embarrass myself by saying something stupid or drooling, I went into the kitchen to put my leftovers in the fridge. I asked Ranger if he wanted a beer and grabbed us each one when he said yes. After handing him a bottle, I flopped down on the couch and took a sip of my beer to give myself a minute to gather my thoughts. Aside from the one text exchange, we hadn't spoken since he left my apartment the morning after Joe attacked me. So much had happened, it was hard to believe that had been less than a week ago.

"How was Miami?" I asked, trying to direct the conversation to a topic that wouldn't give me a minor panic attack, like why Ranger was sitting in my living room looking like he belonged there.

"It was interesting. We are in charge of security at several of the high end clubs in Miami Beach. Many of the people who frequent these clubs were clients of Raul's. The power struggle left by Raul's disappearance left the door open for some new players to try to move in on the action and people started getting stupid. We ramped up our security measures to help ensure the stupidity didn't adversely affect our clients."

"Tank said these types of situations generally sort themselves out quickly and viciously. Is that why the increased security was needed?"

"Yes. Not only is everyone establishing their new place in the food chain, but many will use the distraction of the reorganization to settle some old scores or dole out retribution. It's not uncommon for innocent people to get caught in the crossfire. The increased security on the club scene was to prevent the war from moving in on the party."

"What about Isabella? How does having Raul just disappear affect her?" I asked. Being from New Jersey, I know people are made to disappear all the time but generally the body will turn up in the trunk of a car or float in on the tide. I wasn't sure what happened when there was no body.

"My lawyers are working on making sure Isabella has access to Raul's legitimate assets. The jewelry that was 'stolen' when Raul staged her attack was insured and the insurance check has already been issued. My sources indicate the jewelry was already fenced so there is little chance of being able to recover any of it. Raul seemed to be intent on creating the image of a loving couple, and the bank accounts, house and cars are all in both of their names. Plus, Isabella has his power of attorney, so there shouldn't be any issues with her selling off the assets. I'm sure Raul believed she was too afraid of him to do anything with it. After seven years, my lawyers can petition to have him legally declared dead if that is what Isabella decides she wants to do."

"I'm going to my parent's house tomorrow afternoon to see her and Enrique. Would you like to come with me? I know she would be happy to see you again."

I was a little taken aback. Did the Man of Mystery just invite me to visit his parent's house? I mean, I had brought Ranger to dinner at my parent's house, so this wasn't that weird, right? I was probably reading way too much into it anyway.

"Um, yeah, sure," answered Miss Eloquence.

Ranger just nodded and sat silently looking at me. Oh boy, I knew that look. I had a feeling I was about to find out why Ranger was waiting for me when I got home. I refused to be intimidated by his silence. I wasn't going to fidget. I was going to find my zone and wait him out. That was my plan anyway.

"What?" Damn, so much for my plan.

"I heard you were busy while I was in Miami. Good job on the Williams take down. But why didn't you call me or Tank about the harassment?" he asked quietly. His tone wasn't angry or accusatory, more like a little troubled that I hadn't reached out for his help.

"I really didn't think it was that big of a deal. I figured it was Mooch or Anthony Morelli annoying me for Joe. By the time it got scary, it was over. Morelli accused you and me of playing damsel in distress and the superhero. That got under my skin. I won't be that damsel."

"Babe, you are definitely not a damsel in distress. You are smart, intuitive, brave, tenacious and inventive. Look what you've done in the last couple of weeks. You created and executed the plan to save my sister. You were the one who pinpointed where Raul was keeping Enrique. You magnificently disabled and escaped from Morelli, a trained police officer, when he assaulted you, and you took down Robin, another trained police officer, by yourself. Babe, you are an amazing woman."

I could feel the blush rising in my cheeks at his praise. I was used to being the butt of the joke, the one who rolled in garbage or blew things up. I could handle the ribbing and teasing. I wasn't used to hearing praise and found it embarrassing. I really didn't know how to respond so I said nothing and suddenly found the carpet at my feet incredibly fascinating. Then I remembered my Lara Croft epiphany from last evening.

"Ranger, I know you and the guys were all specially trained while you were in the military, but do you think you could recommend someone who would be willing to work with someone like me? Like maybe some self-defense and martial arts? I know there will probably be running involved and I promise I won't complain too much."

He sat contemplating me and I started to get nervous. Maybe he was afraid I would embarrass him and he didn't want to recommend me to anyone.

"If not, I understand." I finished weakly.

He stood up and scooped me off the couch before sitting down and settling me on his lap. He kissed the top of my head and said, "I can see all your insecurities in your face. After everything I just told you, you still don't realize how amazing you are. I would love to help you with your training if you're open to the idea. We have the facilities and the trainers at RangeMan, plus you could add range time to your training. If you aren't comfortable with that, I can certainly recommend some others to work with you. Just let me know if you would be more comfortable working with people you know or if you would rather work with someone more impartial."

I leaned my head back on his shoulder and smiled. I was remembering how patient Ranger was with me when I first started out as a bounty hunter. He took me to Sunny's to learn to use my weapon and made me kill hundreds of little paper men. He had also tried his best to get me to run, but had finally admitted defeat after I had accidently tripped him on the track.

"If you're feeling brave enough, I think I'd rather work with you and the guys at RangeMan. They are more familiar with the type of training I would need to do my job."

That got me the 1000-watt Ranger smile. I blame it on the smile, but it may have been my Hungarian hormones. Either way, I just couldn't help myself. I reached up and pulled his face toward mine until our lips met. What started as a gentle kiss quickly escalated into a panty melting experience with our mouths devouring each other. I moaned as his mouth left mine and started trailing open mouth kisses down my neck. Using the arm behind my back to support me, he shifted so I was leaning backwards and he had complete access to my throat and chest. He continued the kisses downward until he got to the top button of the white silk shirt I had worn to the funeral home.

I groaned in frustration when his mouth started moving back up my throat. My nipples were hard as diamonds and begging for his mouth. He chuckled softly and continued his torturous journey back up my throat as he slowly pulled me back up to sitting so he could plunder my mouth again. God, this man could kiss. But as much as my mouth was enjoying his ministrations, there were other parts of my body that were begging for his attention.

Without warning, he lifted me up and carried me to the bedroom. Without ever breaking the kiss, he gently laid me down and pinned to the bed with his body. Finally, I felt his hands on my shirt working the buttons loose and then his fingertips were skimming over the edge of my bra. His mouth soon followed his fingers and I moaned as his warm wet mouth closed over my nipple through the thin material of my bra. He bit me gently through the lace and made me gasp, and then he was blowing across the dampened bra and sending shivers through my body.

There is a reason Lula calls this man the Wizard, and he proved it again by making all my clothes disappear. His hands and mouth were everywhere but the one spot I wanted him most, and he had me writhing and begging him for release. Being Ranger, he ignored my pleas until he was ready to give me what I was begging for. Then suddenly, his mouth had reached the promise land. He feasted on me like a starving man at a banquet table, laving me with his tongue, nipping me with his teeth and planting erotic kisses at my core. Just as I thought I couldn't take another second, he pushed two long fingers into my wet center and I exploded. He continued to move his fingers and lap me with his tongue until I was reduced to a quivering puddle of ecstasy.

Once I had started to come down from my soul shattering orgasm, he slowly started kissing his way back up my body. As he returned to my lips, I realized he was still completely dressed. I pushed at his shoulders and he looked at me questioningly.

"Get naked, now." I said in a somewhat breathless voice. He gave me his wolf grin and started to slowly peel off his t-shirt. As his hands dropped to the front of his cargos, my eyes greedily worked their way down his body. When his pants hit the floor I had a mini-orgasm at the sight of Ranger in his God given glory.

"See something you like, Babe?" he asked with a grin.

"Oh, hell yeah. Come here, Batman." I demanded. And he did.


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: **Anything you recognize belongs to JE.

**A/N: **Thank you to those who leave reviews. I love hearing what you think!

**Chapter 19**

It was still dark when I woke to the sound of Ranger's watch alarm. Since I was using that arm as a pillow, he had to reach around me with his other arm to silence it. The feeling of being wrapped in Ranger's arms is both comforting and sensual. Those arms tightened around me slightly as he kissed me on top of the head and whispered that he was going for a run and I should go back to sleep. Considering the sun wasn't even up yet, that seemed like a fabulous idea to me.

When next I awoke, the sun had made its way up and Ranger was standing in my bedroom door with a cup of coffee in his hand. His hair was still damp from the shower, but he was dressed in his standard RangeMan t-shirt and cargo pants. I pushed myself up in bed as he came over to sit on the side of the bed. With an almost smile, he handed me the mug of coffee.

"Thanks." I took a sip from the steaming mug and waited for the caffeine to hit my brain. As I slowly came awake, I remembered I was supposed to have coffee with Mary Lou. I glanced at the bedside clock, relieved to see it wasn't as late as I thought.

"I have a meeting in half an hour that will last most of the day. I'll be back at 4:00 to pick you up and we'll head to my mother's house. That will give me a chance to speak with Isabella before we sit down to dinner. Does that work for you?"

I took a second to contemplate what was happening right now. I was propped up in bed after a night of pure magic, sipping coffee brought to me by the man of mystery, and talking about going to his mother's house for dinner. The best part was, I didn't feel the least bit guilty or awkward about last night. I tried to be discreet as I pinched my arm. Ouch. Yes, I was definitely awake.

"Um, yeah, that works for me. I'm meeting Mary Lou this morning and then I'm going to check in at the office to see if I have any new files. I don't have anyone outstanding at the moment, so it should be a pretty quiet day."

Ranger took the coffee mug from my hands and set it on the table beside my bed. Then, he pulled me close and gave me bone melting kiss. I moaned as he drew back and handed me back my coffee mug. The man had an honest to goodness grin on his face as he stood up and headed out the door.

Hearing the front door close, I scrambled out of bed and headed for the shower. I did the whole shower, shave and shampoo thing in pretty good time and was toweling off when my cell phone rang. I checked the caller ID to make sure it wasn't a creep call and was surprised to see it was Mary Lou.

"Hi Mare. We still on for coffee?"

"Yes, I wanted to make sure you were still coming. I've got some juicy gossip so get your ass and some doughnuts over here fast."

I assured her I was almost out the door and hung up. I swiped on a couple layers of mascara and added some of Mr. Alexander's miracle serum to my hair, hoping it would behave itself. I pulled on my favorite pair of jeans and a stretchy v-neck top, dropped my gun and my phone in my bag and headed out the door in record time.

Thankfully, the line at the Tasty Pastry wasn't long. I really wasn't up to running into Angie or Bella Morelli this morning. I'm sure anyone looking at me could tell by the grin on my face that I woke up this morning a very satisfied woman. If the grin didn't give it away, the love bites that were visible above my v-neck did. I probably should have grabbed a scarf or jacket I realized belatedly.

I had gone to school with Sandy Mancuso, the woman working behind the counter. She smirked and asked if it was anyone she knew when I stepped up to give her my order. Ignoring her question, I asked for a dozen assorted and waited while she filled the box. I paid for my order and headed out the door without making eye contact with anyone else.

I kept my head down as I made my way out to the parking lot. Setting the box of doughnuts on the roof of my car, I started rooting around in my bag for my keys. Without warning, someone slammed into my back, pinning me against my car door. Before I had a chance to react, a voice whispered in my ear, "Miss me, Cupcake?"

Because I had been digging through my bag, my arms were pinned at an awkward angle between my body and the car. Joe was plastered against my back so I had no room to kick back with my foot or drive my head back into his face.

"No, I didn't. Get off me, Joe."

"Not going to happen. I saw you when you went into the bakery. What must people think when the see my future wife walking around with marks on her neck and a just fucked smile? They all know I was too banged up to be banging you." He kept his voice low and anyone walking by would think he was whispering sweet nothings in my ear.

"They probably think I finally came to my senses and dumped your sorry ass." I replied. I'm guessing he didn't care for my response because he used his whole body to push me harder against my car. I grunted as the air was driven from my body by the car door.

"Joseph Morelli, you get away from my daughter this instant." At the sound of my mother's voice, Joe pulled back slightly and turned toward her voice.

"It's okay, Helen. Steph and I were just about to kiss and make up. You'll be able to start planning our wedding really soon." he told her smugly.

Before I could say a thing, my mother retorted, "There is no way I would allow my daughter to marry an abusive, womanizing drunk like you. Now I mean it, let my daughter go."

"Helen, I don't know what lies you've heard, but you know me. I'm not like that. Steph and I were meant to be together. How many times have you said that yourself?"

Joe was still holding me up against my car so I couldn't see what was going on behind me. Suddenly, I heard a thud and felt Joe jerk as he grunted in pain. His grip on me loosened enough so I could push back away from the car and turn to see what was happening. Just as I did, I saw my mother swinging her purse for all she was worth towards Joe's broken ribs. The first blow must have been a direct hit, but he was able to block the second swing. He grabbed the strap of my mother's purse and pulled. She was off balance from her swing and fell towards him. Instead of trying to pull back, she used her momentum to propel herself into him and drove her elbow into his body. I just managed to get out of the way as he stumbled back into my car with another grunt of pain.

Before it could escalate any further, a Trenton PD car pulled into the parking lot. Carl Costanza and Big Dog got out of the car and took in the whole scene. My mother basically had Joe pinned up against my car and I was in the process of pulling my gun out of my purse. I let it drop back into my bag and took my hand out of my purse. No point in testing whether that concealed carry permit was completely legit or not.

"Someone want to tell us what's going on here?" Carl asked.

"Hey guys. Nothing's going on. Steph and I were about to kiss and make up and Helen mistook my hug for something else. We're good." Joe replied.

"Steph? Mrs. Plum? Is that true?" Big Dog asked.

Before I could say a word my mother responded. "No, that isn't true. This man was assaulting my daughter for a second time, and I want him arrested." There was a collective gasp from the busybodies who had come out of the bakery to watch the Plum & Morelli show.

"Mom, I'm not sure that is a good idea. You know what people will say." I couldn't believe those words just came out of my mouth.

My mother looked over at me and smiled. "Yes, Stephanie, I know what people will say. They will say how you stood up to an abusive man and refused to be a victim. They will say how strong and brave you are, and how proud your family must be. They'll say 'Helen Plum's daughter doesn't let a man treat her that way'. That's what they'll say."

I stood there and stared at my mother in shock. I hadn't seen her this protective of me since Eddie Abruzzi sent the guy in the rabbit costume for me. My mom turned the rabbit into roadkill with her Buick and I think if she saw Joe Morelli crossing the road anytime soon, she might take aim at him as well.

I looked over at Carl and Big Dog and nodded. My mother and I stepped away as they approached Joe.

"What the fuck are you guys doing? You're joking right? You aren't really going to arrest me for getting a little frisky with Steph, are you?"

"Joe Morelli, you are under arrest for assault. Turn around and assume the position against the car. Do not put your hand near your weapon." Carl was all business as Big Dog covered him a few steps back. Thankfully, Joe just shook his head with a look of disbelief and turned around to do as Carl had instructed. Carl relieved him of his weapon and pulled his arms down to secure them behind his back. Just as the cuffs were locked, a shriek came from the bakery crowd.

"What is the meaning of this?" Angie and Bella Morelli were pushing through the crowd and storming towards us. "You take those ridiculous handcuffs off my son this instant. How can you arrest him when this is all her fault?"

Big Dog wasn't from the Burg and didn't have a problem saying, "Mrs. Morelli, you need to stand back. If you interfere, you will be arrested as well." To be honest, I was kind of hoping she would do something that would make Big Dog follow through on his threat, but instead she turned her wrath on me.

"You don't deserve my Joseph. You don't deserve to be married to him and bear my grandchildren."

My mother put her arm around me and replied, "You're right, Angie. My daughter doesn't deserve Joseph or to bear your grandchildren. She deserves much more."

Carl and Big Dog were loading Joe in the back of the cruiser as Angie and Bella stormed away. The bakery crowd went back to the business of pastries and my mother and I were left standing in the parking lot.

"Where did you learn the self-defense move you used when Joe grabbed your bag?" I was surprised at how my mother reacted when Joe grabbed her purse.

"I took some self-defense classes at the community college. One of your friends from RangeMan showed us what to do in different scenarios. That was what we learned to do if someone tried to snatch our purse."

I looked at my mother and just laughed at the irony. She patted my arm and said, "You should come to dinner soon. I'll make pineapple upside down cake." With that, she turned and walked back to her Buick.

I looked over at my car and was surprised to see the box of doughnuts still sitting on top where I left them before this whole dog and pony show started. I dug the keys out of the bottom of my bag and grabbed the box and set off for Mary Lou's. I had no doubt she would have already heard about Joe's arrest before I could drive the five minutes to her house but I was curious to hear what else she had heard.


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer: **Anything recognizable belongs to JE. Anything else is wishful thinking on my part.

**A/N: **Thank you, thank you, thank you to those who review. I love hearing what you think and appreciate all those who take the time to leave a comment. I'll admit, I repeatedly check my email after I post a chapter because I can't wait to hear what you think.

**Chapter 20**

The front door flew open as I pulled up in front of Mary Lou's house. Obviously she had been impatiently waiting for me to get my ass and the doughnuts to her house. I made my way up the walk as she held the door and shifted from foot to foot, anxiously waiting for me to get inside.

"Come back to the kitchen. I've got coffee and some dirt on what's been happening, or rather, not happening with your ex-boyfriend."

After we settled in I took a bite of my doughnut and motioned for Mary Lou to start.

"First of all, I'm glad things are over between you and Joe. I know it hurts to find out about him cheating, but it was worse than you knew. It turns out Robin wasn't the only extracurricular activity Joe was partaking in. Seems there was more than undercover work going on the whole time with Terry Gilman. When Terry found out about Robin, she was pissed."

I had long suspected Joe still maintained a relationship with Terry. There was the time Grandma's friend saw Joe jump out of Terry's second story window, and the time Lula and I found them at the cheap motel off Route 1. Each time he claimed their meetings were work related, but the doubt was always there.

"Anyway, the rumor is that Terry was okay with sharing Joe with you because she didn't want to be a stay at home wife and mother. She preferred being the 'other woman' but she wanted to be the only other woman. When she found out she had been sharing him with Robin and God knows who else, she told Joe to lose her number."

At this point, I don't think anything I could learn about Joe would surprise me. I was beyond being hurt by what I was finding out. More than anything, I was angry he had managed to fool me into believing he was someone he wasn't and to do it for so long.

"And it isn't just Terry who is giving Joe the cold shoulder. The normal parade of unmarried daughters and nosy mothers hasn't appeared at his door offering hot meals and comfort either. Trenton's most eligible bachelor is practically a leper. Even Joyce Barnyard is steering clear."

The fact that Joyce Barnhardt was not sniffing around was more telling than anything. A while ago when Joe was laid up with a broken leg, I found Joyce at his house offering her own version of tender loving care. She was never picky about the men she slept with, so maybe she was just biding her time. I doubt 'the boys' were up for a playdate yet, anyway. I smiled maliciously at the thought. I knew I should be a bigger person than this, but I wasn't. I could live with that.

"Meanwhile, I heard you and your mom had a run-in with Joe in the parking lot of the Tasty Pastry this morning. Did she really knock him out with one punch?"

Typical of Burg gossip, the story got bigger and more far-fetched with each telling. I gave Mary Lou the low down on what really happened, including my mom learning the self-defense move from one of Ranger's men.

"That is so awesome. I'm glad you decided to press charges, Steph. He shouldn't be allowed to get away with hurting you like that. Okay, enough about Joe. I also heard you walked into the Tasty Pastry looking like you'd won the lottery. Who's the lucky guy?"

The huge grin was instantaneous as I recalled the prior night's activities. Mary Lou's eyes widened and she gasped, "Oh my God, it was Ranger, wasn't it?" I continued to smile as I nodded my head. Mary Lou did that stupid fanning thing with her hand.

"It's about time you two got together," she exclaimed.

"No, it's not like that. Ranger doesn't do relationships. We aren't together, we were just together last night." And in Miami, but that was for therapeutic purposes, I told myself.

"What do you mean, 'Ranger doesn't do relationships'? You two have been in a relationship of some sort since you met him."

"Well, yes, a professional relationship. But it was a mentor/student, or boss/employee kind of relationship. And plus, we're friends. He doesn't want any other kind of relationship with me. Remember how he sent me back to Morelli after we spent the night together? Not exactly the actions of a man who wants more."

"Okay, Steph, let's review. The man has given you more cars than I can count and round the clock protection whenever you've need it. He's let you move in with him when you needed a place to stay and even given you a job on occasion. That man would do anything for you."

And he had, I thought. He pulled a woman from her home at gunpoint when Stiva kidnapped me. He had jumped from a bridge into the Delaware River to save me when Uncle Sunny's men had tossed me in with a cement block tied to my ankle. He had even killed Abruzzi to keep me safe.

"That's all true. But, he told me marriage isn't in his life plan. That his kind of love comes with a condom, not a ring. "

Mary Lou snorted. "Are you so sure being married is really a part of your life plan? If you wanted to be married, you could have accepted Joe's proposal a long time ago. Did you ever stop to wonder if maybe your commitment issues might have something to do with not wanting to be married?"

"Besides, you were fine in a relationship with Joe that only came with a condom. He never gave you a ring, in spite of asking you to marry him more than once. At least Ranger has been honest with you. Joe just kept stringing you along. Joe may have told you he loved you, but words are easy. What did he ever do to show you? Criticize you? Yell at you? Call you a disaster magnet? Let you believe you were under suspicion for Dickie's murder? And what about when he thought he was having all those health issues? He blamed you and broke up with you rather than talk to you about it. Should I go on?"

I shook my head as I continued to chew, not wanting to interrupt what was an interesting perspective on my relationships with Joe and Ranger.

"Meanwhile, let's talk about Ranger. Not only has he told you he loves you, he has shown you again and again how much you mean to him. Not just with cars and other material things. He has always supported you and given you encouragement. When something happens, he's the first on the scene to make sure you're okay. Why do you think that is?"

I sat there mulling over what Mary Lou had said. Maybe she was right. I had only this vague thought that I should someday be married with children, but I wasn't sure if that was because it was something I wanted or something that the Burg and those in it expected of me. I had proven on more than one occasion that I was not what the Burg expected, so why should this be any different.

"I may not want to get married, but I don't want just a casual sexual relationship either."

"I hate to break it to you, Steph, but that is exactly what you've had with Morelli. Think about your relationship. Besides sex, what did you two have? You didn't go out on dates. Instead, it was take-out in front of the TV, and then sex. Hell, the first time he mentioned marrying you, it was to get rid of his mother so you two could have sex. If you removed sex from your relationship, what would have been left?"

Again, I thought about what she was saying, and then compared it to the time I spent with Ranger. Ranger and I had cohabitated on several occasions and generally slept together when we did. But it was more about comfort and safety, not sex. Granted, there was a lot of sexual tension between us, and the kissing and flirting was incredibly hot, but there was a quality to our time together that wasn't there when I spent time with Morelli. The time Ranger and I spent together was mostly working, but there was more to it than just the job. We enjoyed spending time together. And that time didn't involve the upheaval that went with spending any length of time with Joe. There was no yelling or rude hand gestures associated with Ranger. Just the knowledge that we could trust in the other to have our back at all times.

"Thanks, Lou. This has been enlightening. I've got to run by the office and see if I have any new files and then I've got to figure out what I'm going to wear tonight. Ranger is taking me to his parent's house to visit his sister."

"He's taking you to meet his parents?" she shrieked.

"It's not like that. Isabella and I became friendly during our time in Miami and I'm going to see her. This isn't a 'meet the family' kind of dinner."

"Steph, you need to get your head out of the sand and take a look around you. This man is letting you into his life more and more. Take a chance. Stop worrying about what you want five or ten years from now, and focus on what you want now."

I left Mary Lou's and drove to the bond office on autopilot. I couldn't stop thinking about how Mary Lou described my relationship with Morelli. In hindsight, I could now see we were nothing but friends with benefits. There was no dating or courtship. Honestly, there wasn't even much effort put into what we had. We were comfortable together because of a shared history. What I had thought was love was more like affection, but even that was gone now.

I chatted with Lula and Connie for a few minutes while Connie got the paperwork together for the files she had for me. None of the FTA's looked particularly dangerous or difficult, but I already knew I would not be going after any of them today. I still wanted to run by the mall to find something to wear to dinner at Ranger's parents. Lula said she was done filing for the day and told me she would help me pick out the perfect outfit to wear to meet Batman's parents. I was a little skeptical that our idea of appropriate would be the same, but shopping is always more fun with a friend so we headed to the Quaker Bridge Mall together.

It didn't take long before Lula and I both had an armful of clothes and we headed to the fitting room to start trying things on. I still had a couple of hours before I had to get home to do my hair and makeup, and Lula and I had fun trying on outfit after outfit. While my choices trended more toward the casual side, Lula was a vision in sequins and spandex. I finally decided on a simple wrap dress in a blue that complimented my eyes. I also found a sassy red halter dress with a swingy skirt that Lula insisted I had to buy. I had no idea where I would ever wear it, but it did make me feel sassy and sexy so I caved and bought it as well.

I dropped Lula back off at the office and then went home to get ready. I kept telling myself there was no reason to be nervous. Ranger had been to my parent's house for dinner, this was no different. I told myself I shouldn't read anything into it, that he had invited me because he knew Isabella and I had connected in Miami, and it would be nice to see her again.

I kept my make-up soft and natural, or as natural as a Jersey girl can keep it. I did add a third coat of mascara for courage and finished off with a pale pink lip gloss. By some miracle, my hair was still behaving so I left it down and tamed it into soft waves that fell down to my shoulders.

I had just put on my Victoria's Secret powder blue demi-bra and thong set when I heard the locks tumble and my front door open. I called out to Ranger that I would be out in a minute and slipped into the wrap dress. I completed the look with a pair of taupe colored FMP's that I thought made my legs look pretty damn good.

I found Ranger in the kitchen giving Rex a baby carrot. I heard someone moan softly as I took in the black slacks that clung perfectly to his ass. Oops, I guess that moan came from me. He turned to see me checking him out and grinned.

"See something you like, Babe?"

As he moved toward me, my eyes continued to drink in the perfection that is Ranger. His ice blue shirt had the top buttons undone, giving a glimpse of a chest that just begged to be kissed. His sleeves were rolled up and the mocha latte skin of his forearms rippled as he brought his hand up to cup my face. My eyes finally moved to his face where our eyes locked before his mouth slowly descended to mine for a kiss so soft and gentle is took my breath away.

"You look beautiful," he whispered against my lips. He moved his head back a little and added, "I'm tempted to forget about dinner, but I really need to discuss some matters with Isabella. And my parents are expecting us."

I stepped back before I gave into the temptation of ripping his shirt open and grabbed my bag off the counter. After he locked the door, Ranger took one look at my heels and hit the elevator button. Smart man. He held the door of the Turbo while I got myself settled in then gave me another quick kiss before closing the door. Within minutes of leaving my parking lot, he was in his zone and we were on our way to Newark to have dinner with the Bat family.


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer: **Anything recognizable belongs to JE. All mistakes are mine.

**A/N: **I'd really appreciate hearing what you think. I spent a lot of time imagining what Ranger's mother would be like and how Steph's first meeting with her would go. I also wanted to create a little bit of a backstory to explain Ranger's mixed emotional messages.

I googled traditional Cuban dishes to come up with the dinner menu. I apologize if I got any of the information regarding these dishes incorrect.

**Chapter 21**

We exited the Turnpike and I soon recognized the neighborhood from when we were searching for Scrog after Julie's kidnapping. Just a few moments later, we pulled up in front of a modest, ranch-style house. Even though it was an older home, it was obviously well cared for. Ranger was out of the car and had my door open before I realized what he was doing. Once I was standing on the sidewalk, he reached behind my seat and pulled out a colorful gift bag and a mixed bouquet of brightly colored flowers. Holding the bouquet and the bag in one hand, he surprised me by taking my hand in his other. As we made our way up the front walk, the front door opened and an older couple stepped out onto the front porch.

Ranger led me up the steps before releasing my hand to shake hands with the man and kissing the woman on her cheek and handing her the bouquet of flowers. He turned back to me and drew me forward with a hand on the small of my back.

"Babe, I'd like you to meet Ricardo and Esperanza Manoso. Mama, Papa, this is Stephanie Plum."

It was easy to imagine what Ranger would look like in the future. Both Ranger and his father had the same warm chocolate eyes, angular cheekbones and strong jawline. Where Ranger's hair was still a curtain of black silk, his father's hair was cut short with graying at the temples that gave him a distinguished air. His mother was as beautiful and his father was handsome. Her wide-set, almond shaped eyes missed nothing as she looked from her son to me.

Ranger's father stepped forward and smiled broadly as he clasped my extended hand in both of his. "Welcome, Estefania. It's a pleasure to meet you. Please, call us Ric and Ana. Isabella has told us how brave and resourceful you were. Thank you for helping to save our daughter and grandson from that monster."

My Burg manners kicked in as I returned his smile and replied, "It's a pleasure to meet you both." As I said that, I looked over at Ana Manoso. She gave me a tight smile and acknowledged my words with a small nod of her head.

Ric motioned us into the house and Ana excused herself to go check on dinner. Ranger took my hand again as we followed Ric into the living room. The room was comfortable with overstuffed furniture and family pictures on every flat surface. Isabella had been sitting on the sofa watching Enrique play quietly in the corner when we walked in. She stood and came to hug Ranger and then turned to hug me. I was a bit surprised by her greeting but I gave her a quick squeeze back.

"Stephanie, it's so good to see you again. I wanted to thank you again for everything you did to help me."

"Hi, Isabella. It's good to see you as well. You look so much better already. How are you feeling?"

"I'm doing well, but still taking things slowly. My doctor is happy with the progress I've made since I've come to New Jersey. Knowing we're safe means I can focus completely on Enrique and myself. And there is something to be said for being with family."

As Isabella and I chatted, Ranger walked over to where Enrique was playing. Ranger sat cross legged on the floor and Enrique smiled, climbed into Ranger's lap and threw his arms happily around Ranger's neck. Ranger hugged him back and whispered something into Enrique's ear. Enrique drew back with an even larger smile on his face and looked down at the gift bag Ranger had set on the floor beside him. He looked back at Ranger and Ranger nodded. Enrique settled himself comfortably in Ranger's lap and Ranger handed him the bag. Enrique happily pulled the tissue paper from the bag and his face lit up as he pulled a shiny black car from the bag. I laughed when I realized in was a scaled down replica of Ranger's Porsche 911 Turbo. The bag also contained a replica Ford F150 and Porsche Cayenne.

Enrique examined each car carefully before handing Ranger the Ford and indicated Ranger should play with the truck while Enrique played with the Turbo. They both crawled around the carpet pushing the cars and making motor noises. If someone had told me I would be watching Batman play cars I would have laughed in their face. The reality of watching Ranger playing with his nephew was so heartwarming I felt like my heart would burst. Ranger looked over at me, grinned and winked. I had to remind myself that Ranger didn't do anything stupid like marriage or pregnancy before my imagination took me someplace I shouldn't go.

I was so focused on Ranger, I startled when I felt a soft hand on my arm. I turned to find Ana standing beside me. Ranger would tell me I should be more aware of my surroundings.

"Stephanie, would you mind giving me a hand in the kitchen?"

Uh oh. When my mother asks me to help in the kitchen, I know I'm in for an inquisition. I'm not sure what to expect from Ana, but I'm guessing she doesn't need help with the cooking. And even if she did, she was asking the wrong person. I shot Ranger a look of dismay as I turned and followed Ana back through the door and into the kitchen.

As we entered the kitchen, the smells coming from the stove made my mouth water. Ana walked to the stove and stirred a couple of pots before turning to look at me. She gave me an appraising look, making me wonder what she was thinking. Just when I thought this moment couldn't get more uncomfortable, my stomach growled, reminding me that I hadn't taken time to eat lunch.

As awkward as it was, my grumbling stomach seemed to break the tension in the room. Ana chuckled and then indicated to a small table with two chairs tucked against the wall of the kitchen.

"Have a seat, Stephanie. There isn't really anything to do right now, but I wanted a chance to speak with you. I know Carlos wanted to speak with Isabella before dinner, so I thought this would be a good opportunity for us to chat."

I swallowed nervously and nodded, wondering what Ranger's mother would want to chat with me about.

"I wanted to say thank you for your role in rescuing my daughter and grandson. I had long suspected that Isabella was in a bad marriage, but I had no idea how much danger she and my grandson were in. I thank God you and Carlos were there to help her. Isabella has told us how smart and brave you were. She also told us it was obvious that Carlos had feelings for you. I'd like to know, do you care for my son as well?"

I must have looked like a fish with my mouth opening and closing. I didn't know how I should answer her question. Yes, I was in love with Ranger. I realized that after he was shot by Scrog. But I'd never told him and I wasn't sure I wanted to tell his mother. I didn't want to lie to Ranger's mother but I wasn't sure how to answer her question. Finally, I decided to go for the truth.

"Ana, I'm not sure how to respond to your question. Yes, I love your son. But it's not like you think. Carlos has made it very clear that his life doesn't lend itself to relationships and he has no desire to be married or have a family. We are the best of friends who care a great deal for each other, but that is all he will allow us to be." I didn't think I needed to get into the physical aspects of our relationship with Ranger's mother. I wasn't even sure how to define that part even if I wanted to talk about it.

Ana walked back to the stove and gave the pots another stir. She seemed to be composing her thoughts before turning back to me with a sad smile on her face.

"I'd like to tell you a little about my son. Carlos was both a joy and a challenge as a child. He was smart and inquisitive, but rather intense. He had difficulty controlling his emotions. When he was happy, he would spread his joy to everyone with whom he came into contact. But, when he got angry or frustrated, he would fly into a rage and it could take hours before he would calm down. As he got older, his temper got him in more trouble than you can imagine. He was always getting into fights and then he started hanging with the wrong crowd. I'm not sure what he's told you, but he had some trouble in his teen years. And then he enlisted and I was so worried. I knew it was the best thing for him, but I didn't know if he would be able to control his temper."

"Little did I realize how well he would learn to hide his emotions. When he returned after his Ranger training with his blank face I cried myself to sleep for days, mourning the son I felt I'd lost to this stone faced stranger. Then, about three years ago, I noticed a change in my son. He started smiling again. I swear to you, the first time I heard him laugh I had to look away so he wouldn't see my tears of joy. Carlos was telling us about how this novice bounty hunter he had agreed to train had managed to bring in a seasoned police detective. Not only did she capture him, she also cleared the detective of the murder with which he had been charged. The pride in Carlos's voice as he told the story was obvious."

"We've heard many more stories about you over the last three years, but with every adventure he recounts, his pride and affection for you becomes more obvious. I don't mean to sound melodramatic, Stephanie, but somehow, knowing you has chipped away at the stone faced man and brought my son back to me. For this, I thank you."

"Isabella told me what Hector said about you helping Carlos more than you knew, and asked me what he meant. She wasn't around to understand the change in Carlos after he returned from Ranger school and never experienced the cold, emotionless man who returned. I knew exactly what Hector meant. Now, I can't believe a person could have that much of an impact on a man like my Carlos if that person didn't have feelings for him. Whatever those feelings may be is between you and Carlos. All I ask is that you try to be patient with him. My son has spent years pushing back his emotions and pushing away those who make him feel those emotions. I'm sure he has said and done things to try to push you away as well. I hope what I've told you will help you be understanding and maybe even allow you to forgive him for the stupid things he may have said."

Before I could respond, Ana announced dinner was ready and asked me to let everyone know. We gathered in the dining room and Ranger held out a chair for me. I smiled my thanks as I sat down. Ranger took the seat next to me and gave me a questioning look. I gave him a small smile to let him know I was fine after the time spent in the kitchen with his mother. Ana set several dishes around the table and gave a quick look to make sure everything was just so before sitting down at the end of the table opposite from her husband. Isabella and Enrique were seated opposite from us. It actually felt a lot like gathering at my mother's table.

Because I wasn't familiar with the food being served, Ranger gave me a quick description of each dish. There was something called _pulpeta_ that was similar to meatloaf, although it was cooked on the stove rather than baked, and a black bean and rice dish he called _moros y cristianos_. I was hesitant to try the _yuca con mojo_, thinking anything with 'yuck' as part of its name couldn't be very good, but I was pleasantly surprised to find it had a flavor similar to potatoes. I chuckled to myself, thinking this meal was the Cuban equivalent of meatloaf night in the Burg. Dinner was followed by an amazing flan for dessert. I was surprised when Ranger accepted a slice from Ana. I guess this wasn't a temple night.

Ana refused our offer to help clean up and we were soon saying our goodnights to Ric, Ana, Isabella and Enrique. Ranger once again rested his hand at the small of my back as we made our way down the walk to the Turbo. He opened my door and waited for me to fasten my seatbelt before closing the door and walking around to the driver's side. I appreciated the view out the front windshield as he made his way around the front of the car.

We made our way back out to the turnpike and headed south. I had a belly full of good food and the throaty growl of the Turbo soon had me nodding off. Before I knew it, we were back at my apartment and Ranger was waking me with gentle strokes against my cheek.

"Wake up, Babe. We're back. I'll walk you up but then I have to take off. One of the guys went home sick so I've got to cover his shift tonight."

Once again, he got out and came around to open my door and offered me a hand up out of the low slung car. His hand was on my back as we walked into the lobby to the elevator. As we rode up, the hand on my back rubbed in slow circles on my lower back and it felt completely natural to lean into his shoulder. He kissed the top of my head as the doors came open and we walked toward my door. He took my keys and went in to check for killer dust bunnies.

Finding no killers, psychos or ex-boyfriends, he walked over to where I stood in the foyer and took me in his arms. He lowered his lips to mine and I slid my hands up the back of his silky shirt as I melted into him. The kiss deepened and I moaned as I felt Ranger's impressive erection rubbing against me. Ranger's hands ran down my back and over my ass, pulling me tighter against him and letting me know just how the kiss was affecting him.

We were both breathing heavily when we finally pulled apart. My panties were completely ruined and Ranger looked like he would have difficulty walking for a bit.

"Damn, I've got to go. Are you free tomorrow night?"

Trying to form a coherent thought, I nodded my head. "Yeah, I'm free. Is this a distraction job?"

"No, this isn't a distraction, Babe. It's a date. I'll pick you up at 7:00. Wear shoes you can dance in."


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer:** Anything recognizable belongs to JE.

**A/N:** All my knowledge of Cuban food and dances comes from the internet, so please be kind if I've made any errors.

Thank you to all who take the time to review. I love hearing your thoughts and really appreciate your kind words. It is your encouragement that gives me the courage to keep typing.

**Chapter 22**

I hadn't been asked on a date since I was in college. At least not a real date. I had accompanied Ranger when he was meeting with a business associate who was bringing a date, but that was work. And as Mary Lou had pointed out, Joe and I never really dated. The idea of going on a real date with Ranger sent a little tingle through me.

"Um, okay." My eloquence was rewarded with one more kiss before he left.

With nothing else to do with the rest of my evening, I went to my bedroom to change into one of my pilfered RangeMan t-shirts and a pair of sweats and flopped down on my bed in my thinking position. I hadn't gotten a lot of sleep the night before so I was tired, but my mind was too busy regurgitating the events of the day and I was too agitated to sleep.

Mary Lou had opened my eyes with her perspective of my relationships with Joe and Ranger. Then my conversation with Ana shed a little light on the mixed signals I got from Ranger. This brought my mind around to what he had said after Joe attacked me. He told me he wanted me in his life in whatever capacity I chose. What the hell does that mean? Was this one of those 'he has the weight and muscle but I have the power' things? What if I chose marriage? He doesn't do stupid things like marriage, but he had said once he thought about marrying me sometimes, or at least sharing closet space. UGH! I felt like my brain was going to explode.

Somewhere during this downward spiraling thought process, my brain decided denial was the best route to take, and shut down completely. The last thought I had before I drifted off to sleep was that maybe I should stop trying to figure out what Ranger wanted and start focusing on figuring out what it was I wanted.

Because I had fallen asleep so early the night before, I was up and ready to take on the world way earlier than I normally start my day. I had the three files I had picked up from Connie the day before, so I poured myself a cup of coffee, grabbed a strawberry PopTart and started with the top file.

George Wiseman had been arrested for assault, causing a public disturbance and assembling without a permit. I grew sympathetic to old George as I read down through the arrest report. In a misguided attempt to promote healthier eating, the nursing home where he lived had decided to replace evening dessert with a single piece of fruit. When the normal complaint process had not brought back the chocolate cake and rice pudding, George led a protest on the front steps of the facility. It probably would have ended without incident, except the residents had been stockpiling their nightly fruit and used it to pelt the administrators. The glass windows at the front of the home were shattered and a well-aimed apple took the nutritionist down and resulted in a concussion. Eye witness accounts on who actually threw the apple were inconsistent, so unless George hired Albert Kloughn, I figured his lawyer would be able to get that charge dropped.

According to the bond agreement, George had been kicked out of the retirement home and was now living in a third floor apartment a couple blocks off Stark Street. Not a great neighborhood, but not an especially dangerous one either. Given the time of day, I figured there was a decent chance of my car would still be sitting there where I came back out of his building. It was still too early for the druggies and gangbangers, but I knew old people liked to be up at the crack of dawn. I made sure my phone and stun gun were charged and headed out to pick up Mr. Wiseman.

It turns out George had missed his court date because he had no way to get to the courthouse. I didn't want to have to leave him in lock-up until court was in session, so we went to a diner not far from his apartment and had breakfast. We talked about our families and our love of a good dessert. I told him about my mother's pineapple upside down cake and he suggested I invite him over for dinner sometime. I'm not sure I would want to subject him to the insanity that was a Plum family dinner, but who knows? He and Grandma Mazur might hit it off.

I called Connie as we were leaving the diner and asked her to meet us at the station to get George bonded back out. I drove him to the station and checked him in with the desk sergeant and picked up my body receipt. I had given him some cash and the number for my dad's taxi company so he could get back home. Before I left, I handed him my card and told him to call me when his court date came back around and I would give him a ride. You might say we had bonded over our love of dessert.

I had two more open files, so I headed to the office to see if Lula wanted to ride shotgun. Lula was sitting on the ugly office couch flipping through a tabloid when I walked in. She said she was holding down the fort until Connie got back from the courthouse. Since there was no filing, Lula agreed to go with me to pick up my two FTA's.

"I know Sharona from my days working as a professional service provider. She isn't one of those crackhead ho's and folks recognize her as a quality professional. Most likely she didn't want to lose money by taking the time to go to court."

The problem with picking up a working woman like Sharona was that they knew the drill and most of the time wouldn't come willingly. I could offer to pay her for her time, but my cut of the bond wouldn't cover what she would charge.

Connie got back to the office and Lula and I decided to go after the other skip first. Sharona wouldn't be out on her corner until closer to lunch time when the business trade picked up so Monty Mercer was up. Mercer was a bag boy at the Stop 'n Shop and a phone call to the manager confirmed he was working. He had been picked up for possession of a controlled substance when he accidentally dropped his bag of weed at the feet of Officer Picky during a routine traffic stop. He had no priors and wasn't carrying a weapon when he was arrested, so chances were good that he wouldn't have one on him while bagging groceries either.

As we pulled into the parking lot, I recognized Mercer as he came out of the store. He headed to the far end of the parking lot and got into a beat up Honda. Lula parked and I got out and strapped on my utility belt. As I walked toward his car, I could see he was taking a smoke break. From the smell, I would say that wasn't regular tobacco he was smoking. The great thing about stoners is they are mellow and can usually be lured in with the promise of snacks.

I let him finish his break and waited until he was getting out of his car before I approached him. I introduced myself and explained that he was in violation of his bond and that I was taking him in to reschedule his court date. He was reluctant at first, but when I offered to buy him Cheez Doodles he agreed to join us in the Firebird.

When we got to the station, I had Lula park on the street and then took her ignition keys. I did not want to get stranded again today. I walked Monty in to the desk sergeant, got my body receipt and then bought three bags of Cheez Doodles from the vending machine in the hallway. Handing Monty one bag, I took the other two back out to where Lula was still waiting for me and handed her back her keys.

Sharona was not on her corner so we decided to try back another time. I was two for two on the day, and I didn't feel like pushing my luck. Lula and I stopped and picked up three meatball sandwiches from Pino's and went back to the office.

While we were eating, Connie and Lula grilled me about my dinner with Ranger's parents the night before. I had no intention of sharing what Ana had told me, so I gave them an abridged version of the evening. I didn't mention my upcoming date with Ranger because I knew that would set them both off again and I wasn't ready to answer the questions I knew they would ask. Besides, I didn't have a clue where we were going, only that I needed shoes I could dance in. The thought of dancing with Ranger sent a tingle down my spine and I fought hard to keep the smile off my face.

It was early afternoon when I left the office. I stopped at the bank to deposit my checks for George and Monty. It was nice to see a decent balance in my account for a change and I was hoping once I started training with Ranger and the guys that would become a more common sight.

Thanks to Lula talking me into buying the red halter dress, I already knew what I was going to wear for my date, so I headed home to pamper myself a little before I had to get ready. I took a long hot shower and did the whole buff, exfoliate, shave, and moisturize thing. Wrapping myself in a soft terry cloth robe, I gave myself a mani/pedi and did French tipped toes and fingernails.

Adding Mr. Alexander's miracle serum to my curls, I blasted my hair with the hair dryer and then pulled it up in a loose twist with tendrils hanging down to frame my face. I went for a smoky eye look with lots of gray shadow and kohl liner, but kept the rest of my makeup fairly neutral. After all, I didn't want to look like I was working a distraction. A glittery pair of silver hoops completed my above the neck look.

Checking the time, I realized Ranger would be there soon so I pulled the red dress from the hanger and slipped in on. From the front, the modestly high neckline gave no indication of the almost indecent plunge it took in the back. Of course the plunging back also meant I couldn't wear a bra, but I didn't think that would be a problem. The skirt flared enough that it would swing while I danced but not get me arrested for indecent exposure. My red thong was the exact same color as the dress, just in case it did come up a little higher than intended. Lastly, I added a pair of silver Mary Jane stiletto heels that went perfectly with the dress and were comfortable enough that I could dance in them for hours.

At precisely 7 o'clock there was a knock on my door. I looked through the peephole and was surprised to see Ranger standing outside at my door. Smiling, I opened the door to ask if he forgot his lock pick set, but words suddenly failed me as I took in the sight before me.

He had traded his black cargo pants and t-shirt for a pair of black dress slacks and a black silk shirt topped with a black sports coat. Corporate Ranger would have added a black tie, but Club Ranger had left the top three buttons open. His hair was loose and I caught a glint of diamond studs in his ears. In his hand was a single, perfect red rose.

He handed me the rose and said, "You look stunning."

I could feel myself blushing at the compliment. "Thank you. You look pretty stunning yourself."

I took the flower into the kitchen then I realized I didn't own a vase to put it in. I guess when the only people who send you flowers are stalkers, there isn't much need to keep a vase in the house. I found a water glass that would work for a bud vase and added some water.

"Thank you for the rose. It's beautiful. I'm ready. I just need to grab my purse."

I grabbed my oversized clutch and added my phone, ID and credit card, lip gloss, small pepper spray and handcuffs. I knew the jacket Ranger was wearing hid the holster at the small of his back and there was most likely a second weapon strapped to his ankle so I didn't feel a need to add my Smith & Wesson to my bag. I detected a little twitch in the corners of his lips as Ranger watched what I dropped in my bag.

Ranger picked up the black pashmina I had set on the counter earlier. He stood facing me as he wrapped it around my shoulders, trapping me in the silky fabric and pulling me in closer to his body. His mouth descended toward mine with a tantalizing slowness that had me breathless before his lips even touched mine. The kiss deepened and our tongues met in a slow, sensual dance filled with promises of what was to come. The sensation of kissing Ranger while not being able to touch him was both frustrating and erotic. The kiss ended as gently was it started and Ranger grinned as he released his grip on my silken prison.

"You ready, Babe?" he asked, still grinning at me.

I nodded, then wondered what I should be ready for. Apparently he meant dinner because he opened the door and waited while I locked up behind us. I felt a little weak in the knees from the kiss, so I was glad for his hand on my lower back as we walked out of my apartment building. He opened the passenger door of the Turbo and waited while I settled myself in before closing the door and moving around to the driver's side.

We crossed the Delaware River into Pennsylvania and headed toward Philadelphia. Ranger was in his zone so I relaxed back in my seat to enjoy the ride. Traffic was moving along well and we were soon pulling up in front of a restaurant called Antonio's. Ranger's parking karma was obviously still working as a car pulled out of the small lot to the side of the building and we were able to park not far from the door.

Ranger came around to open my door and offered me his hand. With his hand on my lower back, we made our way into the restaurant. As soon as we entered, an older, very handsome Latino man came forward embraced Ranger.

"Carlos, _mi amigo_, it is so good to see you. It has been too long. And who is this _mujer hermosa_ you have brought to grace my humble establishment?"

Ranger once again placed a protective arm around my waist and said, "Antonio, I'd like you to meet Stephanie Plum. Babe, this is Antonio Escalante, owner of this humble establishment and an old friend."

I smiled and held out my hand. "Pleased to meet you, Senor Escalante."

"Not that old, Carlos." He said as he reached for my outstretched hand. Instead of shaking my hand as I expected, he grasped my fingertips and brought my hand to his lips. "Please call me Antonio. The pleasure is mine. _Al cielo le falta un angel._"

Antonio escorted us to an intimate table for two at the rear of the restaurant. The room wasn't large, with dining tables arranged to one side of the dance floor that occupied the center of the restaurant and a bar with lounge seating and low tables on the opposite side. There were several couples out on the dance floor and as I heard the lively Latin music, I was eager to join them. Every child in the Burg grew up taking ballroom dance lessons. I had hated the sweaty palms of the prepubescent Burg boys while I was learning to salsa, rumba and tango, but tonight I was grateful that I wouldn't embarrass myself.

As I looked over the menu, I realized I had no idea what any of the dishes were. There was an English description for each, but they all sounded equally delicious. The waiter appeared at our table with ice water and rattled off the chef's specials, which made it ever harder for me to decide.

"Babe, would you like to try a sampling of several dishes rather than choosing one?"

For once I was grateful for Ranger's ESP and nodded. It sounded like he ordered almost everything on the menu and I wondered how we would be able to eat it all and still be able to dance. After the waiter left, Ranger stood up and offered me his hand. We made our way onto the floor just as a salsa beat started.

Despite his muscle mass, Ranger moves with a cat like grace that has always made me think of a panther. Dancing was no exception. We moved together effortlessly, like we had been dancing together for years. The salsa music ended and I moved into his arms to rumba. Where Ranger led, I followed. My world narrowed to the music and this beautiful man in front of me.

We headed back to the table when our food arrived. I was slightly breathless, although I suspect it had more to do with my dance partner than the dancing. On our table was a variety of small plates and a pitcher of sangria. As I sampled each dish, Ranger told me what it was called and explained what it was. The flavors were incredible and I don't think I could have picked just one as my favorite. He even let me try his meal. He called it _ropa vieja_ and told me that it was one of his favorite Cuban dishes.

When we had finished our main course, Ranger suggested we take our drinks and go sit in the lounge. When a slower song came on, Ranger once again asked me to dance.

"I didn't realize the waltz was considered a Latin dance."

"This is called the _danzon_. It is a traditional Cuban dance very similar to a waltz. Come on, I'll teach you."

Ranger held me close and we were soon moving in perfect time with the music. Did I mention this man can dance? The song ended and a faster beat started. We danced a tango, another salsa and a bachata before returning to our seat.

Ranger asked if I would like dessert and ordered me something called tres leches cake and himself a Cuban coffee. The cake was light and tasted absolutely amazing. By the time we had finished dessert, it was late and I was starting to feel the effects of the sangria, the good food and the dancing. Ranger caught me trying to stifle a yawn and asked if I was ready to go home.

I snuggled into the passenger seat of the Turbo as Ranger set off towards Trenton. I thought I would be asleep before we made it to the Interstate, but that was before Ranger's right hand came off the wheel and he took my hand in his. We had been in almost constant contact all evening, both on the dance floor and at the table, and it just felt right to continue that contact on the ride home.

We pulled into the parking lot of my apartment building a little past midnight. All was quiet in the hood as Ranger helped me out of the car and walked with me into the building with his hand again on the small of my back. As we entered the elevator, Ranger pushed the button for the second floor then pulled me to him and kissed me senseless while the elevator made its way slowly up one floor.

When the elevator doors opened, we stepped out into the hall and turned to find my apartment door ajar. Ranger's gun appeared in his hand in the blink of an eye and he whispered, "Stay here." as he silently crept down the hall.

He pushed the door open only enough to glide through and be swallowed up by the darkness inside. I was trying to open my purse to have my phone in hand in case I needed to dial 911 when I felt a hand clamp down over my mouth and nose, pulling me back against a hard body, and the cold metal of a gun barrel pressed against my side. Oh shit, not again.

_mi amigo: my friend_

_mujer hermosa: beautiful woman_

_Al cielo le falta un angel: Heaven is missing an angel_


	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer: **Anything you recognize belongs to JE

**A/N:** I appreciate each and every one of you for taking the time to read my story. I also want to say thank you to all who leave comments and reviews. I love hearing what you think.

**Chapter 23**

The hand over my mouth and nose was blocking my air and I was trying not to panic from not being able to breath. Then a quiet voice whispered in my ear. "Steph, its Eddie. Stay quiet."

The cold metal left my side and I realized it had been the side of the gun barrel I had felt. His hand loosened from my mouth but I was still held back against his body as he continued to whisper in my ear.

"I think Morelli is in your apartment. I don't want you to distract Ranger if Joe is waiting to ambush him."

Just as Eddie said this, we heard two shots from inside my apartment. Eddie tried to hold me back, but I broke free and ran into my apartment. I had to know that Ranger was okay. I heard Eddie on his police radio reporting shots fired and requesting back-up and an ambulance. I knew as soon as RangeMan heard the report of shots fired at my address, they would be sending a team as well.

As soon as I entered the dark foyer, I stopped. I had to know Ranger was okay but I didn't need to get shot doing so. Taking a quick glance into the kitchen to make sure it was clear, I went in and grabbed my gun from the cookie jar. I checked that it was loaded and flipped off the safety. Eddie was just clearing the kitchen door as I came through and he motioned for me to stay behind him. I nodded and covered his back as we made our way as quietly as we could into the living room.

The light coming in through the windows was enough to see there was no one in the living room either. Then, from the bedroom, I heard Joe shout, "Fuck you, Manoso."

Frightened at what I might find, I raced ahead of Eddie through the bedroom door with my gun leveled in front of me. Joe was lying on the floor in front of the open closet door with Ranger sitting over him, pinning Joe down. I turned on the light and realized Ranger was holding his jacket against Joe's chest.

"Ambulance is on the way. Ranger, are you okay?" I asked, scanning over his body looking for blood. There was a bloody gash on his arm, but it didn't look like it was too bad.

"Just a scratch, Babe. I'm fine."

I couldn't even look at Joe. Here was the man I once thought I loved bleeding on my bedroom floor after trying to shoot the man I knew I was in love with. I couldn't help it. I felt completely responsible for what had happened. How did I manage to screw everything up so badly?

The only sound in the room came from Eddie's police radio while we waited for the EMT's. The ambulance arrived shortly, followed by Tank and Hal in a Rangeman SUV and Carl and Big Dog in a Trenton PD black and white. By now, the hallway was filled with my neighbors and Eddie had to ask them to return to their apartments so the EMT's could get the stretcher through.

Ranger moved away to let the EMT's work on Joe. Ranger's shot had entered his upper right chest above the lung and had not exited. As soon as they could, the EMT's got Joe loaded on a stretcher and got him out the door. I knew they would be taking him to St. Francis, and soon the news of his shooting would be all over the Burg.

Tank wanted to get Ranger to the ER to get his arm stitched up, but Ranger insisted it was just a scratch and didn't need stitches. Tank offered to wait while we made our statements to Carl and Big Dog but Ranger told him there was no need for Tank and Hal to hang around and sent them home. Ranger, Eddie, Carl, Big Dog and I all moved out into the living room to allow the crime scene investigators to do their thing in the bedroom.

"Ranger, let's start with you. Tell us what happened."

"We came off the elevator at approximately 0015 hours and observed that the apartment door was ajar. I told Steph to wait in the hall, drew my weapon and entered the apartment. I cleared the kitchen and living room before making my way to the bedroom. I entered the bedroom but I did not observe anyone in the room. The closet door opened and the subject fired on me without warning. I returned fire immediately. The suspect was hit in the upper right chest area and fell to the floor. I kicked his weapon out of his reach then removed my jacket and began applying pressure to the wound."

Listening to Ranger recount the events in this unemotional, detached language made the whole thing seem surreal. It almost felt like I was hearing about something that had happened to someone else. Almost, but not quite. Certainly not enough to make me feel less sick about Joe trying to kill Ranger because of me.

Carl looked at me and said, "Steph, you're next. What did you see?"

"When we came off the elevator and saw the open door Ranger told me to wait in the hall while he went in to check my apartment. I was trying to get my phone from by purse when Eddie came up behind me in the hall and told me he thought Morelli was in my apartment. Then we heard the shots."

"How many shots did you hear?" Carl asked.

"I heard two shots, so I went in to check on Ranger."

"Did you go directly to the bedroom?" Once again, it was Carl asking the questions.

"No, I stopped and got my gun from the kitchen. Eddie and I were moving through the apartment when we heard Joe yell at Ranger. I didn't know what had happened and I was afraid he was going to shoot Ranger, so I ran into the bedroom. When I got there, Joe was on his back on the floor and Ranger was pressing his jacket against Joe's chest."

"Did you fire your weapon, Steph?" Big Dog asked.

"No, like I told you, by the time we got to the bedroom, Joe was already down."

Carl turned to Eddie. "What made you think Morelli was in Steph's apartment?"

"I had been trying to reach Steph for a couple of hours, but her cell phone was going directly to voicemail. I heard Morelli had made bail and wanted to give her a head's up."

I pulled my phone out of my clutch and saw I had 17 missed calls and 13 voice mails.

"I had silenced my phone when we left for dinner. I didn't want anything to interrupt our date." I explained.

Carl indicated for Eddie to continue. "When I couldn't reach her on her cell after the first few tries, I decided to drive by and see if she was home."

"What time was that?" asked Carl.

"The first time was at approximately 9:00 pm. I was on patrol, so I kept trying to reach her by phone and came by about every hour or so to see if she was home. I was also driving by Morelli's house to make sure his SUV was still in the driveway. Everything looked fine until I went by Morelli's house right before midnight. His SUV was gone so I headed back in this direction. I spotted Morelli's vehicle parked two blocks south of Steph's apartment building. When I pulled into the parking lot, I saw Ranger's Porsche. I was worried Morelli was going to do something stupid if he found Steph and Ranger together, so I came up the stairs. Ranger was just going through the open door as I reached the landing. I came up behind Steph and just as I told her I thought Morelli might be in her apartment, I heard two gunshots."

"I called dispatch to report shots fired and request back-up and an ambulance and followed Steph into her apartment. She had retrieved her weapon and we were making our way through the apartment when we heard what sounded like Morelli yelling from the bedroom. We entered and found Joe on the floor with Ranger above him performing first aid."

"Did you fire your weapon, Eddie?"

"No, the only shots that were fired happened before Steph and I entered the apartment."

Carl turned back to Ranger. "The problem I'm seeing is it's his word against yours. We have no way of proving Joe fired first. However, given the fact that Joe had entered the apartment illegally and his prior arrest for assault on Stephanie, I find it hard to believe the DA would try to bring charges against you. We'll need to impound your weapon to run a ballistics test and the CSI techs will need to swab everyone's hands for residue, but after that, you're free to go."

Big Dog went into the bedroom and pulled a tech out to do the residue tests so we could leave. I really couldn't show up at my parent's house at 2:00 am and was relieved when Ranger asked if I wanted to stay at RangeMan. He held my hand on the ride to Haywood, releasing it only when he needed to open the gate with his fob. Once in the elevator, he pulled me close and held me for the ride up to seven.

When we got to his apartment, I pulled the first aid kit out and attended to his 'scratch'. Talk about deja vu, I had just done this down in Miami. This scratch probably should have been stitched, but I knew there was no chance I was going to get him to the ER at this point, so I used butterfly strips to close it as best as I could.

Once Ranger's arm was attended to, I made my way into his bathroom to attend to a few needs of my own. Thankfully, Ella kept all my necessities stocked in Ranger's apartment just in case. I removed my make-up and brushed my teeth before slipping on the black t-shirt I had grabbed from Ranger's closet. I walked back into the bedroom and Ranger gave me a kiss on the forehead and a gentle push towards the bed before heading into the bathroom.

I snuggled into his amazing sheets with a sigh. I still couldn't believe Joe would have killed Ranger, but there was no other explanation for what he was doing in my closet. I mean, how does it come to this? As I lay there contemplating how differently the night could have ended if Joe had been successful, Ranger slid into bed and pulled me into his arms.

"You okay, Babe?"

That is always his first question. God, I loved this man.

"Ranger, can I ask you something?"

"What's that, Babe?"

"Why didn't you kill Joe? I'm not saying I wish you had, but I know you could have killed Joe just as easily as disarming him. Why didn't you take the kill shot?"

He was silent for so long, I didn't think he was going to answer me. I wondered if I had said something to offend him. Finally, he said quietly, "When you realized Joe had tried to shoot me, you blamed yourself, didn't you."

I didn't bother to respond. Ranger knew me better than I knew myself sometimes.

"I knew if I killed Joe, you would blame yourself for his death, rather than placing the blame on Joe where it belonged. Believe me, if you had been in that room, I would have killed him without the slightest hesitation and with no remorse in order to protect you. But I didn't have to and I didn't want you to feel responsible for his death."

It amazed me that in the split second he had to make the decision to fire, Ranger's first thought was to protect me rather than himself. It was like the heavens opened and a ray of light was shining down into my brain. I finally saw what had been in front of me for years. I tipped my head back and looked into his eyes and said, "I love you, Ranger."

His eyes opened just a little wider and I got his 1000-watt grin. "Love you, too, Babe." And then he kissed me.

**A/N part II:** I realize in real life, Ranger, Stephanie and Eddie would have been separated and interrogated separately. However, I wanted to keep the narration in first person and couldn't figure out how to get Eddie's version of what happened in the story from Stephanie's perspective so I took a little literary license with that scene.


	24. Chapter 24

**Disclaimer:** Anything you recognize belongs to JE

**A/N: **This chapter is a just a little gratuitous smut to get us to the end of the story. There will be one more chapter after this with the epilogue to wrap everything up. The story kind of took on a life of it's own and I have enjoyed seeing where it decided to lead me.

I can't express to you my gratitude for all the support and encouragement I received throughout the writing of this story and some of the comments literally made me laugh out loud! Thank you to all who chose to leave reviews. Please know that I enjoyed reading every one.

**Chapter 24**

Finally admitting to Ranger that I was in love with him was liberating. When his lips claimed mine, I poured every bit of my heart into that kiss. I wanted him to know without a shadow of a doubt that I was done holding back. I was done worrying about what I might want in five or ten years. I knew what I wanted right now and it was right here beside me.

Our clothes disappeared and our hands and mouths seemed to be everywhere at once. We touched, tasted and teased, each driving the other to the very edge of oblivion, only to stop and start all over again. Finally, I couldn't wait any longer and, pushing Ranger onto his back, I impaled myself on him. As soon as we were joined completely, my muscles contracted in the mother of all orgasms. Taking a moment to regain my senses, I looked down to see Ranger watching me intently. I bent forward and took his face between my hands and kissed him for all I was worth. His hands gripped my hips as I slowly started to move. My body was hypersensitive so I continued my slow, sensual lap dance until my body started begging for more. I started to move faster and harder, feeling the tension building in my lower body. Ranger's hands were on my hips, urging me faster and faster. Thrusting his hips up, he drove himself more deeply into my body. He groaned out my name and I felt him exploding inside me. That was enough to send me into the oblivion of another climax.

Sated for the moment, I collapsed on top of him and tried to catch my breath. His hands were running up and down my back, gently stroking and soothing. Ranger grabbed the quilt and pulled it up over us. I tried to roll off to the side, but Ranger wrapped an arm around me and pulled me back in so I was tucked tightly against him. Brushing a kiss to his chest, I rested my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes to rest for a moment.

When I next opened my eyes, it was almost noon and Ranger was sitting on the edge of the bed with a cup of coffee. Judging by his shorts and sweat soaked t-shirt, I would say he had been for a run already. I sat up and reached for the cup with one hand while trying to shove my unruly curls out of my face with my other. Ranger gave me a quick kiss and went off to take a shower while I tried to jump start my brain with some caffeine.

Just as I finished my coffee, Ranger came out of the bathroom dressed only in a pair of low slung sweatpants and trailed by a steamy cloud of Bulgari. My body immediately expressed its appreciation for the expanse of mocha latte goodness before my eyes, and I discreetly checked my chin for drool. I guess I wasn't as discreet as I thought when I got his wolf grin.

"Morning, Babe. Ella brought up breakfast if you're hungry."

I was about to tell him exactly what I was hungry for when my stomach made its own opinion known. Laughing, Ranger handed me a clean t-shirt and sweats before heading out toward the kitchen. I made a quick stop in the bathroom to use the facilities, brush my teeth and pull my hair up out of my face before dressing and joining him in the kitchen.

Ella had brought omelets, fresh fruit and whole grain toast. She had also included a side of bacon and hash browns, both of which I assumed were for me. Ranger poured me another cup of coffee and we sat down to enjoy our brunch. The food was delicious as always, and we were soon finished and cleaning up our dishes.

I wasn't sure what to do now. It was Sunday, so I didn't need to get to the office. My bedroom was still a crime scene and I wasn't sure when I would be allowed back into my apartment. As I stood in Ranger's kitchen chewing on my lip and trying to figure out how not to be awkward, Ranger took my hand and pulled me to him.

"What's wrong, Babe?"

"Um, well, I'm not really sure what to do. I can't get into my apartment until they finish processing the crime scene from last night and I really don't want to go to my parent's house in your t-shirt and sweats. I'm just trying to figure out what to do next."

He gave me another wolf grin and offered a few suggestions that sounded very appealing. I smiled and nodded my head and he swept me up and carried me back into the bedroom. We spent the afternoon enjoying each other and napping in between bouts of passion. By early evening, we managed to crawl back out of bed and make our way out to the kitchen. Ella was off for the evening but she had left dinner in the refrigerator, complete with reheating instructions and a bottle of wine.

We sat at the small bar in the kitchen and ate in companionable silence then took our wine into the den. Settling in on opposite ends of the sofa, we sat facing each other with our legs entwined in the middle.

"Ranger, can I ask you something?"

"Of course, Babe. You can ask me anything, but if the answer is classified you know I can't answer."

"No, it's nothing like that. I was just wondering how you were doing on your path to enlightenment and forgiveness."

Hearing his words repeated back to him seemed to amuse him because the corners of his mouth tipped up slightly at my question.

"Are you referring to my thoughts on sharing closet space with you, Babe?"

"You realize you've been sharing closet space with me for a while now, right? Ella was able to pack a bag for me from your closet before we left for Miami. I'm just wondering what your thoughts are on you and me trying as 'us'."

"What about my past? That hasn't changed. You would still be a target for people trying to get to me."

"Ranger, in the time you've known me, how many psychos have come after me because of me and my job? Close to twenty? Only Orin, Vlatko and Scrog have come after me to get to you. Face it, you're in far more danger being around me than I am being around you."

"I know you said your life doesn't lend itself to relationships, but neither does mine. Only someone with the same lifestyle can appreciate what we do. But that doesn't mean we can't have a life outside the job. Dinner and dancing or lazy Sunday afternoons in bed. If we are both willing to try, I know we can make it work. I'm not talking about marriage and kids. I don't even want to think about long term right now. I just want to enjoy what we have here and now and see where it takes us."

Ranger reached out and set his wine glass on the coffee table before bending forward and taking mine from my hand and setting it beside his. He pulled me across the couch until I was laying across him and we were face to face.

"I love you, Babe. You make a very persuasive argument, but I'm not the one who needed persuading. I know you have had commitment issues in the past and I didn't want to pressure you into anything you weren't ready for. You just ended a long term relationship and I wanted to give you time. I told you once I didn't do anything stupid like marriage and pregnancy, but I was being stupid by pushing you away. I'm done being stupid."

"I'm suggesting we take it slow. I know you value your independence and I don't want you to ever feel pressured. I really enjoyed last night and would like to be able to take you out on more dates. And, I would like to offer you a job working for RangeMan again, at least part-time. I can use your research experience and your Burg contacts, and this will make it easier for you to work on your training. Working part-time would still leave you time to work for Vinnie picking up skips if you wanted. Plus you'd also have back-up from the guys here if you needed it."

He kissed my forehead and asked me to think about it. I nestled my head down on to his chest, listening to his heartbeat and thinking how right it felt to be in his arms. I realized with Joe, the problem wasn't a fear of commitment to a relationship, it was a fear of commitment to the man. I had no reservations about committing Ranger. I trusted him completely, with my life and with my heart.


	25. Chapter 25

**Disclaimer: **Anything recognizable belongs to JE

**A/N:** I want to take a moment to thank you all, both reader and reviewers, for your support. I hope you have enjoyed reading this story as much as I've enjoyed writing it.

I hope I remembered to tie everything up, I really hate loose ends! Please let me know if I've forgotten something and I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the ending.

**Chapter 25**

_Epilogue - One year later_

I was stepping carefully as I made my way up the stairs of the third story walk-up. The steps were littered with trash and God knows what else, and I didn't want to risk turning an ankle or stepping on a needle. I held my Sig Sauer P226 up as I advanced up the stairs, sweeping each flight and landing as I went. I traded my .38 Special revolver in for the semi-automatic once I grew more comfortable carrying a weapon. I liked having the extra rounds in the clip and it fit better in the custom made holster I wore in the small of my back.

I had accepted Ranger's offer of a part-time job at RangeMan but I still worked part-time skip tracing for Vinnie. The biggest difference was now Lula did the low end bonds and I took the mid and high end bonds that went to Ranger back when he worked for Vinnie. The guys at RangeMan had welcomed the opportunity to help me, as Ranger had said they would. At first I was afraid they would hold back because it was me, but I soon learned I had nothing to worry about. They knew a skip wouldn't cut me any slack, so they didn't either. Turns out, with actual training, I could be pretty badass for real.

As I neared the third floor landing, I could see someone worked hard to try to keep this area cleaner than the rest. My first guess would be the woman whose door I was about to kick in. Nestor Flores was reportedly visiting his grandmother today in apartment 3C. Normally I don't like picking up a skip in front of his family, but she was the one who had called me. Flores could be unpredictable and she was afraid of him.

He was accused of beating his mother in a fit of rage during a family dinner. Luckily for her, his brothers were home and able to drag him off her before he killed her. The judge had set the bail at $100,000 but Nestor was able to talk his girlfriend into putting her house up as collateral to secure his bond. Now that Nestor had missed his court date, his soon to be ex-girlfriend, mother and grandmother all wanted to see me bring him back into the system.

As I took my place to the left of the door, I glanced over at my back-up. Cal gave me a quick nod to indicate he was ready and I knocked loudly on the door and yelled, "Bond enforcement." Without waiting for an answer, I stepped back and drove the heel of my Cat boot into the flimsy door right above the knob.

Flores shot up off the couch as we entered through the mangled door. His grandmother was just walking out of what appeared to be the kitchen and stopped in her tracks at the sight of Cal and his flaming skull tattoo.

"Nestor Flores, you are in violation of your bond. Lay face down on the floor and place your hands behind your back." It almost never works coming from me, but I'm always hopeful. Call me an optimist, but delusional might be a better word.

As usual, my optimism was misguided and, instead of surrendering quietly, Flores started advancing towards me. He was unarmed and shooting an unarmed skip creates a lot of paperwork, so I holstered my weapon and moved towards the couch. Flores wasn't a large man, but he was taller than me and had a build that exuded a sinewy strength. His paperwork indicated he had done some boxing and had even won a few titles when he was younger. I shifted my weight onto the balls of my feet and turned my body to provide a smaller target as Lester had taught me. When Flores took a swing at me I was able to duck under his fist and move in close enough to sweep his legs out from under him. As soon as he hit the floor I grabbed his arm and twisted it up behind his back, forcing his head down towards the floor.

I pulled my cuffs from my utility belt and had slapped the first bracelet on his captive arm when he tried to turn to grab me with his free hand. I pulled his arm sharply upward and he screamed as his shoulder dislocated. He collapsed forward onto the floor and I grabbed his other wrist and cuffed him.

All the while I was subduing Flores, Cal was keeping the grandmother covered. Knowing he had my back left me free to take care of Nestor. The value of reliable back-up is one of the many lessons I've learned through training with Ranger and the Merry Men in the last year.

I hauled Flores up and looked over at his grandmother. I didn't want to risk retribution for the woman if Nestor realized she had given him up so I pretended I was speaking to her for the first time.

"Ma'am, I apologize for breaking in your door. There will be a gentleman named Luis from RangeMan here later to repair it."

Cal and I each grabbed an arm and headed down the garbage strewn stairway and out to the black Expedition still parked right where we had left it. Another perk of being associated with RangeMan is that my cars rarely got stolen or blown up anymore. Stealing a RangeMan vehicle was like begging to get your ass kicked. Before a chop shop could even get the bumper off, several black clad figures were likely to be in their doorway prepared to show them the error of their ways.

I parked in the back lot of the station and Cal and I walked Flores in to the desk sergeant. As he was writing out my body receipt, Carl Costanza came over.

"How you doing, Steph? I heard you've been busy scraping the scum off the streets of Trenton." He looked pointedly at Flores as he said this.

I smiled and nodded. I was no longer the laughing stock of the Trenton PD and the betting pools were long gone. Turns out, Joe Morelli was the biggest bookmaker at the station and instigator of most of the pools.

"It helps to stay busy with Ranger gone. Plus, I get to see some of my favorite people when I bring in the skips."

That got me a smile and a quick hug before I made my way down the hall to where Cal was talking to one of the female officers from vice. I had seen him stop to talk with her on two other trips to the cop shop and I was starting to wonder if maybe love with in the air for one of my favorite Merry Men.

Cal's friend gave me a quick smile and a little finger wave to Cal as we headed out of the station. Initially, I was nervous about coming back to the station after everything went down in my apartment. The first time I brought in a skip I was afraid the blue wall of silence would greet me. But everyone at the Trenton PD had been supportive of me throughout the investigation and the trial. Joe was charged with two counts of assault, assault with a deadly weapon and first degree attempted murder. There was talk of the DA's office considering a plea bargain, but Ranger made a few phone calls and no offer was ever made. The jury convicted him of all charges and the judge seemed to take personal pleasure in throwing the book at Joe.

He was now serving 10 to 15 years in a maximum security prison. Because he was a former police officer, he was kept out of general population in a special isolation ward. Rumor had it Terry Gilman had decided to forgive him and was a regular visitor until she hooked up with his cousin Mooch. Now only his mother and Grandma Bella went to visit.

We pulled into the underground garage at Haywood and I parked in the spot marked "Babe". When I first saw it, I literally laughed out loud. Who knew Batman had a sense of humor. He offered to replace the sign but I declined his offer. I would always be his Babe, and that was just the way I wanted it.

Cal and I took the elevator up to the fifth floor. While my training at RangeMan included daily time in the gym, I would never be an exercise freak like these guys, and they had long since given up trying to get me to take the stairs up five floors. The doors opened and I thanked Cal for his help and headed to Tank's office. Ranger had been in the wind for two months. While he had made all of his check-in's and Tank assured me it would be over soon, I still liked to check with him to see if anything new had come in while I had been out.

The door to Tank's office was open, so I gave a quick rap on the doorframe before walking in. He was on the phone and held up a finger to let me know he wanted me to wait. I sat in the leather visitor's chair in front of his desk and tried to be patient. After another few minutes, he disconnected and gave me a grin.

"That was my contact in Washington. Ranger is back stateside and should be home soon. He has to go through the mission debriefing and the standard paperwork and then he can leave."

I thanked Tank for the update and left grinning like a madwoman. I made my way back to my desk but found I couldn't concentrate on even the most basic search, so I shut down my computer and headed to the gym. When I first came back to RangeMan I quickly found it inconvenient to run up to seven every time I needed to change to work out, so I had commandeered a small supply closet on the third floor and dubbed it the "RangeBabe" locker room. I had a small cubby for my workout gear and trainers, and there was a lock on the door to give me the illusion of privacy. Truth be told, any one of the guys could pick the lock faster than they could use a key, but they all knew doing so would buy them a one-way ticket to a Stan via Air Ranger.

I put on my standard workout gear of running shorts, a sports bra and tank top and loaded up my favorite playlist on my phone. Stepping onto the treadmill, I selected one of the preset courses that I knew would help me channel some of my excited energy but not leave me in an exhausted puddle by the end of my workout.

Forty-five minutes later I was done with my run and decided to call it a day. I rode the elevator up to seven and stripped off my sweaty gear as I walked through the apartment on my way to a nice hot shower. I luxuriated in heady mixture of Bulgari and unlimited hot water until I felt like a prune. I stepped out of the shower and wrapped a large bath sheet around my body and used a smaller bath towel to wrap my hair up. It was close to six and I knew Ella would be up soon with dinner, so I slipped on a pair of yoga pants and a sweatshirt. It had taken a while, but I had finally gotten used to having an Ella in my world.

When Ranger and I had first gotten together, he had been adamant about taking things slowly. He took me to nice restaurants for dinner, sometimes with dancing afterwards. He took me to the movies and bought me popcorn and movie candy. He even took me to New York City for a long weekend. We took a long walk through Central Park and strolled along 5th Avenue, where we window shopped at Gucci, Prada and Louis Vuitton. He even took me to see a Broadway show. During these dates, I learned more and more about him. He still didn't volunteer a lot, but I realized he was willing to answer my questions and he rarely used only one word to do so.

We spent the night together whenever our schedules allowed, but he never insisted we stay at his place. My closet soon housed several sets of men's black cargo pants and long sleeve t-shirts. A new bottle of Bulgari appeared in my shower when the one I had pilfered ran out. Even better, food started appearing in my refrigerator.

After we had been dating for about three months, I woke up one Sunday morning to find Ranger lying beside me watching me. I gave him a small smile and closed my eyes because it felt strange to watch him watch me.

"Morning. Why are you staring at me like that? Was I snoring or drooling?"

"No, Babe. I was just admiring the view."

That made me open my eyes and I turned my head to do the same. I still found it hard to believe this incredible man loved me and wanted to spend time with me.

"I was also wondering what your thoughts might be on updating our living arrangements to a more cohabitating status."

I stared at him for a moment while I tried to determine what my feelings were about the thought of moving in with Ranger. I waited for the sense of panic or dread that in the past had accompanied any thought of giving up my apartment, but neither one came. As a matter of fact, I really liked the idea of cohabitating with him.

"My thoughts would be, I think that sounds like a really good idea." We both grinned like idiots and moved towards each other and took our sweet time celebrating our decision.

There really wasn't much discussion on where we would live. The seventh floor made the most sense for now, so Ranger had a couple of the guys help move my things into his apartment. As much as I loved Ella, it was difficult getting used to the idea of having someone cooking and cleaning for me. I felt like a kid again, instead of an independent woman.

Eventually I had gotten used to it, and now I was sitting at the breakfast bar while she busied herself setting out my plate and putting some snacks in the fridge for later. I got off my stool and hugged her when she told me there was a fudge brownie on the sideboard and vanilla ice cream in the freezer for my dessert. With her standard order of "Call me if you need anything," Ella made her way out of the apartment, leaving me to my dinner for one.

Evenings were when I missed Ranger the most. Since he had been gone, I kept myself busy during the day with skip tracing or my work at RangeMan, but evenings were mostly spent by myself. There was the occasional dinner at my parent's house or sometimes one of the guys would come up to watch a movie. I had even gone out a couple of times with Connie and Lula for a drink but for the most part, I liked being where I felt closest the Ranger.

Tonight, I decided to lay low and watch TV. Knowing Ranger was almost back made me want to stick close to home. I took my brownie sundae into the den and flipped through channels but nothing caught my eye, so I popped a rom/com into the DVD player and settled in for a quiet evening at home. When the movie was over, I cleaned up my dessert dishes and tidied up before changing into one of Ranger's t-shirts and heading to bed.

I couldn't shake the restless feeling I had had all evening and sleep was elusive. I tossed and turned for an hour before giving up and turning on the bedside light to read for a bit. I must have fallen asleep at some point, because the next thing I knew, Ranger was sitting on the side of the bed tucking a wayward curl behind my ear. It only took me a second to clear the cobwebs out of my sleepy brain before I launched myself at him. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I pulled his mouth to mine and let him know how happy I was to have him home.

Once I had reassured myself that this wasn't a dream and that he was really home, I took a moment to really look at him. His hair was cut short and he looked like he had lost some weight. Though he looked exhausted, he didn't appear to be hurt. I cupped his face in my hands and gave him another, chaste kiss and whispered "Welcome home."

He smiled a tired smile and said, "Thanks, Babe. It's good to be home. I'm going to take a quick shower and then I'll be right back."

I thought about following him into the shower and offering to wash his back, but by the time I had formulated the thought and started sliding out of bed, he was already walking back in the bedroom wearing only a towel and the delicious scent of Bulgari. I guess he wasn't kidding when he said 'quick'.

He tossed the damp towel into the hamper and I flipped the covers back on the bed invitingly. He immediately pulled me to him as he slid into the bed. One thing that has always amazed me about sharing a bed with Ranger is how we seemed to fit together perfectly. Tonight was no exception. My head found a comfortable spot on his chest and my arm and leg draped across him. He turned ever so slightly to enfold me in his arms and I tipped my face back to kiss him. There would be plenty of passion later, but for tonight we both needed to hold each other and reassure ourselves that the two halves of our whole and been reunited.

Soon, his breathing told me he had fallen into an exhausted slumber, and I lay in the darkness listening to his heartbeat and relishing the knowledge that Ranger was home. For the umpteenth time, I thanked the heavens for finally aligning and allowing us both to get our heads out of our asses long enough to realize we belonged together. With this thought in mind, I soon followed Ranger into dreamland.

I woke up the next morning sprawled across Ranger's warm naked body and his rough, calloused hands making warm, soothing circles on my back. I smiled as I lifted my head to give him a quick kiss and was rewarded with his beautiful smile in return. His hands began to travel up and down my backside and I could feel his arousal against my abdomen. He gently rolled me onto my back, making my t-shirt and panties disappear at some point during the process. He used his hands and mouth to slowly worship my body, starting with my face and working his way down my neck to my breasts, pausing briefly to lick, nip and suckle each nipple into pebble-like hardness before continuing to make his way south. He nibbled his way down my abdomen and placed a brief kiss on my lower lips, before continuing to kiss and lick down my inner thigh. He lifted my leg onto his shoulder so he could kiss the back of my knee.

His strong hands were massaging and soothing my calves while he used his teeth to nip the skin before soothing the small bites with his tongue. When he reached my toes, he lowered that leg and pulled the other one up so he could repeat the process in reverse. By the time his mouth had returned to junction between my legs, I was begging for his mouth to give me the sweet release I was craving. His fingers met no resistance as the slowly slid into my body and his tongue lashed out at my overheated nub. Just a few flicks of his tongue was all it took to drive me over the edge, and to have me pushing myself against his mouth and fingers to prolong my pleasure. He stayed with me until I started to come back to earth and then slowly made his way back up my body, kissing and nibbling the whole way.

He positioned himself over me and, staring into my eyes, slowly, very slowly, slid into me inch by glorious inch until he was buried as deep as he could go. At that moment, it felt like we were connected body and soul. We made love slowly, enjoying being together again after the long absence.

Ranger had told Tank we were both offline and we spent the day holed up on seven. A good deal of the day was spent in bed, with the occasional trip out to the kitchen for a snack to keep up our strength. While we made love several times, we also just enjoyed being close and talking.

We had brought some fruit back into the bedroom and were sitting against the headboard nibbling on fresh strawberries when Ranger asked, "Do you remember the rehearsal for Kinsey and Amanda's wedding? Do you remember when you were walking down the aisle towards me?"

I thought back for a moment, remembering. Kinsey had been in one of Ranger's special ops groups, and had left the group around the same time as Ranger. One of their other teammates had blamed Ranger and Kinsey for breaking up the team, and had targeted not only the two men, but also the women in their lives. This included Kinsey's fiancé Amanda and, even though we weren't together at the time, me. Ranger was best man for Kinsey and Amanda's wedding, and had brought me in to help protect Amanda. My cover put me in the maid of honor role for the wedding.

During the rehearsal, as I walked down the aisle, I had a 'what if' moment as I looked toward Ranger at the altar and wondered what it would be like to be marrying him. The realization of what I was thinking had caused me to stumble and almost take out the bride's maid in front of me. I had wondered at the time if he knew what I was thinking.

I nodded and he continued, "As I watched you walking towards me, all I could think about was how much I wished you were the bride and I was the groom. And then you stumbled and I wondered if you were thinking the same kind of thoughts."

I stopped in mid-chew so I wouldn't embarrass myself by choking to death on a strawberry, or worse, spitting it out all over Batman. Once I had myself back under control, I swallowed the strawberry that I had been eating and responded, "I was, actually. You were imagining marrying me?"

"Babe, a big reason I didn't want to get involved in a relationship was because of my military obligations. I didn't want to leave someone behind if I didn't make it back. At the end of this last mission, I opted not to renew my original contract. Instead of working as a field operative, I will now be working as a trainer. Field ops are for younger men, but the knowledge and experience I've gained in my life could be the difference between life and death for some of these operatives. I can still make a difference, but I can do it in a way that allows me to offer you more than I have ever been able to before."

I was stunned. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that, if you still have that hazy long term goal of getting married and starting a family, I am now the man who is able to share those goals with you."

I smiled at his answer and leaned forward to kiss him.

And a few weeks later, on a sandy stretch of beach at sunset, I, Stephanie Plum, took Ricardo Carlos Manoso to be my lawfully wedded husband, until death do we part. It wasn't always easy, but we managed to live happily ever after, and in our own way.


End file.
